# getting to first base...?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-to-first-base/61120>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 7, 2001, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-to-first-base/61120 "2001-04-07T03:40:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![berdollos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@berdollos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/berdollos)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2001, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-to-first-base/61120/1 "2001-04-07T03:40:53Z")

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In all seriousness, I never learned what is meant by getting to first base, second base, third base and home.  
I am talking of course about steps in courting behavior.  
Could someone provide an answer?

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**Author:** ![Gunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gunslinger)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2001, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-to-first-base/61120/2 "2001-04-07T04:04:39Z")

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First: kissing  
Second: fondling through clothes  
Third: touching/licking uncovered “naughty bits”  
Home: SEX! 😃

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**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2001, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-to-first-base/61120/3 "2001-04-07T04:37:31Z")

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And for some more input on the question:

[What is your interpretation of the bases?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=50502)

[Is “third base” heavy petting or dry humping?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=34076)

–sublight.

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**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2001, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-to-first-base/61120/4 "2001-04-07T04:39:07Z")

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And one more…

[Getting to first base](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=4698)

–sublight.

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**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2001, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-to-first-base/61120/5 "2001-04-07T04:40:25Z")

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Darn, I hit ‘submit’ instead of ‘preview’.

[Getting to first base](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=4698)

–sublight.

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**Author:** ![berdollos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@berdollos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/berdollos)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2001, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-to-first-base/61120/6 "2001-04-07T16:58:28Z")

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It looks like the reason I didn’t know what the four bases were is that there is no consensus.

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**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-to-first-base/61120/7 "2001-04-08T00:08:52Z")

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According to some otherwise forgettable comic, possibly Bill Mahr…

“We have a constitutional crisis because Bill Clinton and Ken Starr disagreed on the difference between 3rd base and home.”

FtG

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**Author:** ![upperdeckfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/65b543/32.png) [@upperdeckfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/upperdeckfan)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-to-first-base/61120/8 "2001-04-08T02:54:47Z")

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Oooops…I thought this was a baseball related ques…oh, never mind.