# "Do you like to party?" If someone asks you this question what are they really asking you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 26, 2011, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-to-party-if-someone-asks-you-this-question-what-are-they-really-asking-you/579739 "2011-04-26T04:27:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-to-party-if-someone-asks-you-this-question-what-are-they-really-asking-you/579739/1 "2011-04-26T04:27:37Z")
[Per this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=606109)the topic came up of what it actually means when someone asks you “Do you like to party?” In my opinion it’s almost always a question asking if you like to use drugs. Some think it’s less specific than that. If you are approached at a bar or social function and someone asks you this question what does it mean to you? ---
**Author:** ![anu-la1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-to-party-if-someone-asks-you-this-question-what-are-they-really-asking-you/579739/2 "2011-04-26T04:28:53Z")
I always translate it as “Do you do drugs?” ---
**Author:** ![iftheresaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecae2f/32.png) [@iftheresaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iftheresaway)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-to-party-if-someone-asks-you-this-question-what-are-they-really-asking-you/579739/3 "2011-04-26T04:31:28Z")
IME, it’s almost always refered to marijuana or casual sex, depending a bit on the context (ok, usually casual sex + weed, but still). ---
**Author:** ![The\_Conqueror\_Worm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@The\_Conqueror\_Worm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Conqueror_Worm)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-to-party-if-someone-asks-you-this-question-what-are-they-really-asking-you/579739/4 "2011-04-26T04:39:40Z")
Sex ‘n’ drugs and rock ‘n’ roll are all my brain and body need. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-to-party-if-someone-asks-you-this-question-what-are-they-really-asking-you/579739/5 "2011-04-26T04:41:52Z")
To me, it means, “Do you like to use drugs and alcohol enough to become impaired.” ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-to-party-if-someone-asks-you-this-question-what-are-they-really-asking-you/579739/6 "2011-04-26T04:44:43Z")
Yup, drugs. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-to-party-if-someone-asks-you-this-question-what-are-they-really-asking-you/579739/7 "2011-04-26T04:48:26Z")
If a guy asks a gal, it means sex with or without drugs/booze. ---
**Author:** ![PlanetCharlie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c37758/32.png) [@PlanetCharlie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlanetCharlie)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-to-party-if-someone-asks-you-this-question-what-are-they-really-asking-you/579739/8 "2011-04-26T05:19:58Z")
Phrased like that, it means “do you do/want coke?,” at least most of the time. Thats the more specific “definition,” though surely it could be used for other drugs. [I suppose sex too, if said to the opposite sex. Likely sex and coke. ;)] ---
**Author:** ![PlanetCharlie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c37758/32.png) [@PlanetCharlie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlanetCharlie)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-to-party-if-someone-asks-you-this-question-what-are-they-really-asking-you/579739/9 "2011-04-26T05:22:42Z")
FWIW I googled “do you like to party” and found this on the first page: [http://onlineslangdictionary.com/definition+of/party](http://onlineslangdictionary.com/definition+of/party) . First result mentions cocaine. And yes, I looked hoping that wasn’t just my experience and the crowd I knew. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-to-party-if-someone-asks-you-this-question-what-are-they-really-asking-you/579739/10 "2011-04-26T06:49:01Z")
> [@iftheresaway](#): > > IME, it’s almost always refered to marijuana or casual sex, depending a bit on the context (ok, usually casual sex + weed, but still). Contextual. In general it would involve drinking and or drugs if you are both the same sex [like 2 guys or 2 girls, or in a fairly large group in public] if it is in a more intimate setting, it would probably be sex in combination with drugs or booze. In that other thread, I would have read it as sharing drugs and possibly a bit of being hit on for sex, but mainly drugs. He may have been looking to buy drugs. Frequently people will smoke up outside instead of inside so the place doesn’t smell of weed. ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-to-party-if-someone-asks-you-this-question-what-are-they-really-asking-you/579739/11 "2011-04-26T09:02:12Z")
I’d say drugs - in fact on gay hookup sites there is generally a box saying “do you party?” and the answers are contextually for drugs, so it’s clearly a pretty common usage. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-to-party-if-someone-asks-you-this-question-what-are-they-really-asking-you/579739/12 "2011-04-26T10:23:30Z")
It’s not just drugs, IMO, but drugs in a social situation. The guy who tokes up by himself doesn’t necessarily “like to party.” Also, I think it depends on how you say it. A guy or girl with shifty eyes: drugs. A girl acting all seductive: sex. A guy with that wolf-look? Sex. A person on a microphone with a band? The music’s about to get loud and/or awesome (after a little audience response). The one thing it never seems to have is it’s literal meaning, except in black/white comedy skits. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-to-party-if-someone-asks-you-this-question-what-are-they-really-asking-you/579739/13 "2011-04-26T10:51:26Z")
Depend on context. Are you in Soviet Russia? ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-to-party-if-someone-asks-you-this-question-what-are-they-really-asking-you/579739/14 "2011-04-26T10:55:15Z")
It means, “Would you like to do drugs with me/do you have any drugs we could do together,” with the added option of “and would you have sex with me after” if the gender combo is appropriate. Caveat: **BigT** ’s comment about a rocker yelling to a crowd - “we’re about to start and hope you show appreciation of our music/this particular song is really loud.” ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-to-party-if-someone-asks-you-this-question-what-are-they-really-asking-you/579739/15 "2011-04-26T12:09:55Z")
Depending on context, it’s either “Do you buy drugs?” or “Do you sell sex?” ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-to-party-if-someone-asks-you-this-question-what-are-they-really-asking-you/579739/16 "2011-04-26T12:40:14Z")
Huh. I must move in entirely the [del]wrong[/del]right crowd. To me, it would mean “Would you like to go to a venue that plays much more dance-oriented music than the background noisewe are currently listening to?” or “Do you know of a good example of such a venue?” If someone wanted to know if I wanted to do drugs, they’d ask directly, something like “Want to get high?” or “Want a puff?” or “Have any weed on you?” or “Are you still carrying Ritalin as I know is your want?”. Ditto casual sex - I’ve had both “Want to go back to my place” and “Want to go somewhere and fuck” many times, never been asked if I want to “party”. Of course, I’d say no to drugs (except the Ritalin…) and casual sex, but I’m always up for dancing, so this might be my own projection onto my environment. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-to-party-if-someone-asks-you-this-question-what-are-they-really-asking-you/579739/17 "2011-04-26T13:03:38Z")
Drugs or prostitution, depending on the context. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-to-party-if-someone-asks-you-this-question-what-are-they-really-asking-you/579739/18 "2011-04-26T14:01:16Z")
Pretty much always drugs, usually coke or meth. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-to-party-if-someone-asks-you-this-question-what-are-they-really-asking-you/579739/19 "2011-04-28T00:19:59Z")
Back in the day it meant “Do you smoke pot/get high?” I think I’ve heard it used on **Cops** as a come on from a hooker to a john. ---
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-to-party-if-someone-asks-you-this-question-what-are-they-really-asking-you/579739/20 "2011-04-28T00:24:23Z")
IM (former) E it meant “Hey man, do you get high?” (i.e. weed); a subtle way of asking a new acquaintance at work or school. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-to-party-if-someone-asks-you-this-question-what-are-they-really-asking-you/579739.md?page=2)