# Getting to first base in other cultures **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 24, 2021, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-to-first-base-in-other-cultures/942833 "2021-05-24T20:11:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2021, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-to-first-base-in-other-cultures/942833/21 "2021-05-25T13:32:13Z")
My understanding was: 1st: kissing 2nd: breast access of any sort (over/under the clothes might be mentioned, but still 2nd base) 3rd: Genital touching with fingers Then “all the way” ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2021, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-to-first-base-in-other-cultures/942833/22 "2021-05-25T13:42:03Z")
And then there was the balk. ⚾ ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2021, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-to-first-base-in-other-cultures/942833/23 "2021-05-25T13:55:36Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > So what are the bases, anyway? This instructional video may help: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/C11MzbEcHlw/maxresdefault.jpg "Meat Loaf - Paradise By The Dashboard Light") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C11MzbEcHlw) ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2021, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-to-first-base-in-other-cultures/942833/24 "2021-05-25T13:57:16Z")
During my teenage years, we had a boy that was part of our friendship group who could get a bit handsy with the ladies (he was very good looking, so got away with many liberties). His surname was Ackrington, so let’s just say that 3rd base was known as ‘an acky’. Eg, ‘How did you get on with [random boy] last night. Did you get acky’ed?’ ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2021, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-to-first-base-in-other-cultures/942833/25 "2021-05-25T16:07:38Z")
When I was of an age where “getting to first base” matters, Norwegian kids, at least in my area used the verb “rote” so that the expression can most easily be translated to “mess around with”. What that implied changed with group and age, and if more details were required, you’d ask. Current slang appears to center around “hooke”, borrowed from English “hook up with”, but used in the same context. Beyond that, no euphemisms were needed. You’d use more or less direct language. I wonder if the staying power of the baseball euphemisms in US culture is due to the prudishness of US media when it comes to sex. A Norwegian TV show about teenagers will have them use whatever words are currently in use (to the extent that the writers are up to date), including “bad words”, because sex (hardcore porn excepted) and foul language are not seen as that big deal by the rating agency, compared to violence, while the US has it the other way round. Tangentially the movie Lost in Translation was rated R in the US for sexual situations. In Norway it was rated A, for All audiences. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2021, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-to-first-base-in-other-cultures/942833/26 "2021-05-25T16:23:02Z")
Oh, so that was what this talk about bases was all about! Funny, in retrospect. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2021, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-to-first-base-in-other-cultures/942833/27 "2021-05-25T16:30:18Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > My understanding was: > 1st: kissing > 2nd: breast access of any sort (over/under the clothes might be mentioned, but still 2nd base) > 3rd: Genital touching with fingers > Then “all the way” If this is the correct meaning, then in my youth in the 80s in Germany: 1st: “Wir haben rumgemacht”, “we made out” 2nd: “Ich bin unter ihren Pulli gegangen.”, “I went under her sweater” 3rd: “Ich habe sie gefingert”, “I fingered her” 4th: any non-euphemistic or euphemistic, but unambiguous term for “having intercourse”, without beating around the bush. I wonder why any teenage boy would use euphemistic language among his buddies anyway. This was the least company at that age in which sexual language would have to be censored. ---
**Author:** ![filmstar-en](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/50afbb/32.png) [@filmstar-en](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmstar-en)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2021, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-to-first-base-in-other-cultures/942833/28 "2021-05-25T18:32:10Z")
I suspect that these days a lot of bragging takes place using smartphone apps. If there is an appropriate or inappropriate emoticon out there somewhere, it will surely be found. What need for words when everyone has a camera to update their personal media collection? ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2021, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-to-first-base-in-other-cultures/942833/29 "2021-05-25T19:32:47Z")
Ha ha. Reading this thread and the ads were for baseball cards, baseball tickets, live streaming baseball… ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2021, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-to-first-base-in-other-cultures/942833/30 "2021-05-26T16:26:59Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > I wonder why any teenage boy would use euphemistic language among his buddies anyway. This was the least company at that age in which sexual language would have to be censored. Because in my experience males are a lot more circumspect in their descriptive language as opposed to females. Guys will just announce they did something. Females will _critique_ it. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2021, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-to-first-base-in-other-cultures/942833/31 "2021-05-26T19:43:12Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > unambiguous term for “having intercourse”, without beating around the bush. How does one have intercourse _without_ beating around the bush? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2021, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-to-first-base-in-other-cultures/942833/32 "2021-05-26T20:08:48Z")
Date someone who shaves? ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2021, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-to-first-base-in-other-cultures/942833/33 "2021-05-26T21:10:32Z")
> [@naita](#): > > I wonder if the staying power of the baseball euphemisms in US culture is due to the prudishness of US media when it comes to sex. Nah. Baseball metaphors for sex aren’t about American attitudes to sex so much as about American attitudes to baseball. Starting around the late 19th century, American English became absolutely saturated with baseball jargon in all sorts of contexts. You may “get to first base” or “score a home run” on a date, but at work you can “drop the ball” or have an idea “out of left field”. An unexpected situation “throws you a curveball”, and if you can’t handle it you may need to get somebody to “pinch hit” for you. No, ascribing baseball sex metaphors to American prudishness isn’t even in the ballpark, etymologically speaking. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2021, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-to-first-base-in-other-cultures/942833/34 "2021-05-26T22:03:09Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Nah. Baseball metaphors for sex aren’t about American attitudes to sex so much as about American attitudes to baseball. Starting around the late 19th century, American English became absolutely saturated with baseball jargon in all sorts of contexts. > > You may “get to first base” or “score a home run” on a date, but at work you can “drop the ball” or have an idea “out of left field”. An unexpected situation “throws you a curveball”, and if you can’t handle it you may need to get somebody to “pinch hit” for you. No, ascribing baseball sex metaphors to American prudishness isn’t even in the ballpark, etymologically speaking. Maybe you’re right, but I think you are missing my point somewhat. Other cultures have persistent metaphors in the workplace and for unexpected situations too, but based on the, admittedly limited, evidence in this thread, Europeans use euphemisms _much less_ in the context of “dating”. Of course US obsession with baseball is at the root of the first base, second base slang, and it does sort of uniquely fit, but if US media wasn’t so prudish and ensured each generation gets this particular euphemism in from an early age I’m fairly certain US teen guys would be more straightforward when kissing and telling. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2021, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-to-first-base-in-other-cultures/942833/35 "2021-05-26T22:33:48Z")
Hmm, well, perhaps so. ---
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2021, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-to-first-base-in-other-cultures/942833/36 "2021-05-27T02:34:54Z")
I’m from Texas, but I watched several episodes of the Australian series _[Puberty Blues](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2222848/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2)_ . I don’t recall the euphemisms for activities short of full-on intercourse, but the teens in the series call the actual act “rooting.” The actors used the word quite naturally, but I found it grating. “I rooted last night.” or “They were rooting in the back of the car.” just sounded really weird to me. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2021, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-to-first-base-in-other-cultures/942833/37 "2021-05-27T02:40:06Z")
> [@Drum\_God](#): > > just sounded really weird to me. Hence the description/nickname “Wombat”: Eats roots and leaves. ---
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2021, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-to-first-base-in-other-cultures/942833/38 "2021-05-27T03:41:42Z")
Thanks! I totally didn’t get that. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2021, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-to-first-base-in-other-cultures/942833/39 "2021-05-27T04:47:11Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#): > > Not in Japan. I was told as a 20 year old that they used A, B, C. Checking, it was apparently used then but my friend in his 50s said who know what “them kids” say these days. Interestingly, “bases” was recently (yes, I call 2014 “recent”) used in a Haruki Murakami short story published in the _New Yorker_. It would be interesting to see what was used in the original Japanese language version. > > **[Yesterday, by Haruki Murakami](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/06/09/yesterday-haruki-murakami)** > > “I wanted to find out why a beautiful girl like her would want to go out with a weird character like Kitaru.” ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2021, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-to-first-base-in-other-cultures/942833/40 "2021-05-27T10:42:28Z")
There’s always the squeeze play. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-to-first-base-in-other-cultures/942833.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-to-first-base-in-other-cultures/942833.md?page=3)