# Kissing Friends **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 28, 2009, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-friends/504519 "2009-07-28T03:23:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-friends/504519/41 "2009-07-28T16:58:26Z")
My two best friends (all female) and I kiss each other goodbye all the time (though not on the lips anymore, as we’ve all gotten married to other people.) Although I never actually kissed the most recent-acquired of those friends on the lips, but that’s mostly because she’s so short. Male, pushing 40. ---
**Author:** ![RoniaBorkason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9dc877/32.png) [@RoniaBorkason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RoniaBorkason)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-friends/504519/42 "2009-07-28T18:59:49Z")
28 The only people I kiss on the mouth are my spouse and my mother, once, by accident. I am totally ok with single, double, or even triple cheek/air kisses as greeting, I just need to know its coming and they have to go for it slow enough that I can tell which way to turn (see above, with my mother). California/Oregon ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-friends/504519/43 "2009-07-28T19:08:37Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > 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. Not even Richard Dawson? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-friends/504519/44 "2009-07-28T19:18:23Z")
1. Roughly how old are you? 41yo, female, from Spain 2. Do you kiss opposite sex friends good bye on the lips? Hell no. I only kiss someone on the lips if I’m also interested in sex with them. And in that case, if there’s no tongue involved at all it means someone has tonsillitis 😛 3. Roughly where do you live? Irrelevant. When dealing with other Spaniards: I’m used to kisses on each cheek with about any other woman, as well as with men below 55 or so. When meeting someone in a business situation, it’s either nods, shaking hands or, if the other person goes for kiss-kiss, kiss-kiss. I won’t initiate kiss-kiss in a business situation. With foreigners, whatever is done in their culture. ---
**Author:** ![schnuckiputzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@schnuckiputzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/schnuckiputzi)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-friends/504519/45 "2009-07-28T19:19:25Z")
45 No. Ick. I don’t even like non-family people in my ‘bubble’. Illinois ---
**Author:** ![Sparky\_the\_Wonder\_Spirit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Sparky\_the\_Wonder\_Spirit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky_the_Wonder_Spirit)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-friends/504519/46 "2009-07-28T19:41:54Z")
\*\*1) Roughly how old are you? \*\* Late 20s \*\*2) Do you kiss opposite sex friends good bye on the lips? \*\*I rarely kiss anyone I’m not romantically involved with. Maybe a close family member, on the cheek. **3) Roughly where do you live?** West Coast. The concept of kissing platonic friends seems utterly bizarre to me. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-friends/504519/47 "2009-07-28T20:45:52Z")
1. 30, male 2. No 3. Southern California ---
**Author:** ![whole\_bean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-friends/504519/48 "2009-07-28T21:03:15Z")
1. 30, male 2. no (ESPECIALLY not family. Eff’ing gross!) 3. Ga ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-friends/504519/49 "2009-07-28T21:30:49Z")
1. 26 (as of today!) 2. Some pecks on the cheek; only one where we do a peck on the lips 3. Milwaukee ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-friends/504519/50 "2009-07-28T22:07:24Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > 1. 26 (as of today!) Happy birthday! ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-friends/504519/51 "2009-07-28T22:36:02Z")
1. 33 2. On the _lips_!? Ewwwwww. The only person I voluntarily kiss on the mouth is my husband, though I’ll tolerate brief mouth pecks from my mom. I kiss my grandparents and niece on the cheek or top of the head, but never my friends. We hug on a regular basis, but kissing is right out. Jeez, and I thought it was out of line when I moved to the mountains and people I’d just met insisted on hugging me goodbye. 1. Kentucky ---
**Author:** ![Frazzled](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frazzled/32/3368_2.png) [@Frazzled](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frazzled)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-friends/504519/52 "2009-07-29T01:37:28Z")
Wow! Thanks for the responses everybody! It pains me to have to admit that my coworker is right. She had never heard of friends kissing each other goodbye before and thought I was strange for doing so. I thought for sure I’d have about 30% or so of you guys doing the same. Personally, I really like the practice. It allows me to be a little closer to my closest friends and share an affectionate gesture. I think the biggest surprise I’ve had in this thread is how some of you view kissing. Very eye opening. Thanks again for the replies! ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-friends/504519/53 "2009-07-29T01:39:55Z")
1. Early 20’s 2. Not on the lips, but we do cheek-kiss. My mom will give me a quick peck on the lips, dad we kiss on the cheek, sisters on the cheek. 3. Florida ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-friends/504519/54 "2009-07-29T03:39:42Z")
1. 49, female 2. Absolutely for female friends, never for male friends. I have a select group of friends from their 20’s to 50’s who I kiss on the lips. Cheek kisses or just hugs for the rest of the women. Hugs only for the men. 3. Indiana ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-friends/504519/55 "2009-07-29T14:12:09Z")
Aw, my birthday killed the thread. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-friends/504519/56 "2009-07-29T22:03:56Z")
1. 41 2. Never on the mouth, occasionally a quick buss on the cheek 3. Dallas area ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2009, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-friends/504519/57 "2009-07-30T20:58:54Z")
1. Roughly how old are you? - I’m mid 40s 2. Do you kiss opposite sex friends good bye on the lips? - No. Hell no. 3. Roughly where do you live? - Mid-Atlantic region. I’ve lived all over the country - Don’t take my current domicile as definitive: Mid-Atlantic, South-East, Mid-West, West, West Coast… ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2009, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-friends/504519/58 "2009-07-30T23:42:06Z")
1. 46, Female 2. Select ones. Cheek kisses are much more common both among both sexes. It mostly depends on how close we are and the culture of the friend. 3. Mid-South, but grew up in the Midwest. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-friends/504519/59 "2009-07-31T08:35:42Z")
**1) Roughly how old are you?** I’m in my mid-30s. **2) Do you kiss opposite sex friends good bye on the lips?** I have one current female friend I do this with all the time, and a former friend whom I used to do this with. In both cases, it was the female who initiated this habit as it’s just in their nature, and it happens all the time in front of my wife (whom they also freely kiss on the lips) I have several female friends whom I kiss on the cheek regularly. **3) Roughly where do you live?** Los Angeles 'burbs. **Please feel free to offer any extra information or stories!** The one current female friend with whom I do this caught me way off guard the first time. It was the first time she and I had ever hung out together (we had a mutual friend who “set us up” because we both wanted to see the same movie), and as we were leaving, I went to hug her, and she kissed me. Much later, after we’d become solidly good friends (and the ritual was well established), I asked her what prompted her to do that the first time. She just said I seemed like the affectionate type, which is true. She is the most affectionate person I know, and she is that way with EVERYONE. And it’s 1:30am and I’m tired, so I apologize for rambling. 🙂 ---
**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:** [July 31, 2009, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-friends/504519/60 "2009-07-31T08:54:02Z")
1. 39 2. Hell no. Family? Eeewwww. SO only. (Though I do the whole cheek kissing thing, never sure whether to do one cheek or two, as some people seem to be unduly influenced by our proximity to France. I’ve only started kissing my parents on the cheeks in the last 10 years, it’s a continental fad). 3. Uptight British [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-friends/504519.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-friends/504519.md?page=4)