Kissing Friends

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’m having a debate with a younger friend in my office about friends kissing each other good bye. I think this is normal behavior in close friendships while she can’t imagine kissing anybody else besides her husband or close family members (she does kiss friends on the cheek).

I told her I’d take a quick poll to find out how common this is.

  1. Roughly how old are you? - I’m mid 30’s
  2. Do you kiss opposite sex friends good bye on the lips? - yes, but only very close friends and always just a peck.
  3. Roughly where do you live? - Dallas area

Please feel free to offer any extra information or stories!

2
  1. 34
  2. Never. Cheeks sometimes, depending on the friends and their culture.
  3. Chicago
3
  1. Late 30s.
  2. Never. (Sometimes cheeks depending on culture, mostly “air kisses” there though.)
  3. Chicago suburbs.
4
  1. 28
  2. Never. I also don’t like to kiss family on the lips–husband ONLY. In fact, don’t kiss me anywhere unless we’re married.
  3. I’m from Arkansas, but live overseas right now.
5

1) Roughly how old are you?
40

2) Do you kiss opposite sex friends good bye on the lips?
Nope, never. I was raised Baptist and know that kissing sometimes leads to dancing.

FTR, same-sex friends, either.

3) Roughly where do you live?
Charlotte, NC

6
  1. Roughly how old are you? - Early 40’s
  2. Do you kiss opposite sex friends good bye on the lips? - No, never. Kissing is for family and spouse only.
  3. Roughly where do you live? - Texarkana area is close enough

SSG Schwartz

7
  1. 32
  2. Never
  3. NH
8
  1. 34
  2. Yes, depending on our relationship. Same sex friends as well.
  3. Raised in central Ohio, Los Angeles now.
9

I met this woman for the first time. When I encountered her a couple of weeks later, she kissed me on the mouth!

Not a sloppy kiss.

Now I do the air-kiss thing with certain friends but I don’t even kiss my children, except on the tops of their heads, assuming their heads are lower than my head, which is no longer the case with any of them.

I mentioned it to the friend to introduced us and she said, “Oh, Barbie’s real Hollywood.” As if that explained it.

  1. 50s, as is Barbie.
  2. Never.
  3. Southwest, left coast (but not Hollywood)
10
  1. Mid 20s
  2. Never
  3. Chicago
11

It depends. Sometimes yes. More often a kiss on the cheek, or a hug. For same sex friends, a hug usually.

Northern Virginia - DC Suburbs; originally from the UK.

12

OK I will be one of the exceptions:

I have one female friend I kiss on the lips, we have know each other forever, given the chance I would happily pursue a deeper relationship with her. I will not go into the details as to why we are not a couple, but we go out, we have a blast, we in many ways pretty much even love each other.

In general I would consider any woman I have had a relationship with as fair game for a peck if she is not against the idea. Most women I have ever dated still pretty much like me in a friendly sort of way. I would not do so if I was involved with someone who would be upset by this.

39 M central CA.

13

40yr old male NYC

I have a very few female friends who I’ll give a quick peck on the lips. I have many that I’ll kiss on the cheek, forehead or on the top of the head. There are a couple (ex-GF’s) who may get a slightly more serious kiss, but nothing outrageous. I’m not the jealous type and see nothing wrong with showing a little affection. If the female in question has a SO, I’ll tend to be more reserved just out of common courtesy.
I am a big fan of the hug and will give female friends a “#1” hug as opposed to a “letter A” hug. I do not do “air kisses” unless a hug is involved. For a very few close female friends, the hug may involve me picking them up off the ground for a second or two.

Male friends get a handshake, a “club hug” or rarely a full hug. I do not kiss men, but I’m not offended if a good friend gives me a peck on the cheek.

14
  1. 31
  2. Never on the mouth, on the cheek regularly
  3. New York City (Grew up in New Mexico)
15

  1. Roughly how old are you?
    42

  2. Do you kiss opposite sex friends good bye on the lips?
    On the cheek, but only because it is now the norm with a lot of people, I find it very pretentious and never initiate it.

  3. Roughly where do you live?
    Washington DC, with a brief layover in Kabul

16

Wow, I’m sort of floored by this thread. I would never ever ever kiss anyone on the lips besides an SO/romantic interest. Not even family. Hell, especially not family. The mere thought makes me wretch.

Just recently I was watching a “reality” series on YouTube where a mother kissed her son on the lips (she happens to be a porn star, if that matters). I found it totally disgusting, and a lot of commenters agreed. But many of them were making reference to the fact that she was a porn star, and all the things which have been… in contact… with her mouth - gross enough, but I would still find it gross if she was an accountant. I’ve just always considered kissing on the lips strictly a romantic thing and to have it happen within a family? Unspeakable. So of course “friends” are even more out of the question.

That being said, when I traveled in Mexico it was common for young people of opposite sexes to kiss each other on the cheek when meeting each other. (not so much with older folk, for some reason) I really really liked this, because I met a lot of cute girls in Mexico. :smiley: In the States I don’t even do the cheek thing because it’s more of a recent phenomenon, and kind of a pretentious “Hollywood”-esque thing. But when in Mexico…

17
  1. 26
  2. The only person I kiss on the lips is my husband. I’ll occasionally kiss friends on the cheek but only if they initiate it. If someone tried to kiss me on the lips I’d find it very weird.
  3. Melbourne, Australia.
18
  1. 35
  2. Only if I’m drunk
  3. England, previously New Zealand
19

Male, 35.

If somebody else initiates I will return.

But on the whole I don’t like the practise… I find it silly and pretentious and an affectation that is very insincere. Woulod much prefer just a genuine hello or goodbye.

Note - I am not shy about touching others in the slightest and don’t mind PDA. Just with people I am VERY good frieds with (ie my wife)

20
  1. 55
  2. Never
  3. England