# I'm a first cousin once removed!!!
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-first-cousin-once-removed/53492
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [February 7, 2001, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-first-cousin-once-removed/53492 "2001-02-07T13:49:13Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2001, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-first-cousin-once-removed/53492/1 "2001-02-07T13:49:13Z")
Just wanted to pointlessly say that my cousin Leslie in Hamilton gave birth this morning. Mom, dad, and baby are all doing fine.
They live in Hamilton so I rarely see them, but it was still a Woohoo! moment when I heard it from my mom.
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### Author:  [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2001, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-first-cousin-once-removed/53492/2 "2001-02-07T18:20:51Z")
First off, my heartiest congratulations to your cousin Leslie. Glad to hear both are doing fine and I wish them all the best that life can give them. 🙂 Is it a boy or a girl?
Having said that, however… _you_ are not BabyLeslie\_mcl’s first cousin once removed. You are BL\_mcl’s mother’s cousin. BL\_mcl is _your_ first cousin once removed. The relationship is not reciprocal.
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### Author:  [@BunnyGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BunnyGirl)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2001, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-first-cousin-once-removed/53492/3 "2001-02-07T19:04:32Z")
Congratulations!
Glad to hear everyone is fine.
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### Author:  [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2001, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-first-cousin-once-removed/53492/4 "2001-02-07T22:27:00Z")
Yaaay matt\_mcl:)
So when do you get to see Leslie?
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### Author:  [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2001, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-first-cousin-once-removed/53492/5 "2001-02-07T23:58:41Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Olentzero \*
> \*\*Having said that, however… _you_ are not BabyLeslie\_mcl’s first cousin once removed. You are BL\_mcl’s mother’s cousin. BL\_mcl is _your_ first cousin once removed. The relationship is not reciprocal. \*\*
Since when?
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### Author:  [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2001, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-first-cousin-once-removed/53492/6 "2001-02-08T00:04:06Z")
It is reciprocal, and matt\_mcl is correct.
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### Author:  [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2001, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-first-cousin-once-removed/53492/7 "2001-02-08T00:05:28Z")
My dictionary, for its part, claims that “removed” means “(esp. of cousins) separated by a number of steps of descent”. In other words, both cousins. “They are first cousins once removed.”
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### Author:  [@pricciar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pricciar)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2001, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-first-cousin-once-removed/53492/8 "2001-02-08T00:12:15Z")
Congrats to your cousin, **Matt**.
**Olent** :
This site disagrees with you.
[is a First Cousin, once removed?](http://www.genealogy.com/genealogy/16_cousn.html)
To quote them:
> [@](#):
>
> ```
> Removed
> When the word "removed" is used to describe a relationship, it indicates that the
> two people are from different generations. You and your first cousins are in the
> same generation (two generations younger than your grandparents), so the word
> "removed" is not used to describe your relationship.
>
> The words "once removed" mean that there is a difference of one generation.
> For example, your mother's first cousin is your first cousin, once removed. This
> is because your mother's first cousin is one generation younger than your
> grandparents and you are two generations younger than your grandparents. This
> one-generation difference equals "once removed."
>
> Twice removed means that there is a two-generation difference. You are two
> generations younger than a first cousin of your grandmother, so you and your
> grandmother's first cousin are first cousins, twice removed.
>
> ```
pat
PS:
I always remember my cousin’s kids are my first cousins once removed by saying. “She is my cousin. Those are her kids. Those kids were once removed from her. They are my first cousins once removed.”
Of course that is neither here nor there.