# origin of phrase, "touch base"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-phrase-touch-base/133006>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 19, 2002, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-phrase-touch-base/133006 "2002-10-19T20:25:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Navin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Navin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Navin)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2002, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-phrase-touch-base/133006/1 "2002-10-19T20:25:07Z")

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What is the origin of the phrase, “touch base”?

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**Author:** ![Badge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Badge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badge)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2002, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-phrase-touch-base/133006/2 "2002-10-19T20:29:40Z")

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I would assume it comes from baseball and the requirement to “touch base” before one was tagged out.

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**Author:** ![Navin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Navin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Navin)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2002, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-phrase-touch-base/133006/3 "2002-10-19T20:35:24Z")

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i agree it probably has reference to baseball, but the context in which the phrase is used has no apparent connection to the sport.

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**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2002, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-phrase-touch-base/133006/4 "2002-10-19T21:26:40Z")

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WAG here.  
When a batter hits a fly ball that is caught, any base runners have to return to the base that they were on and touch it before they can try to run to the next base. Likewise, in a force out situtation all the fielder has to do is touch the base while holding the ball for the runner to be out.

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**Author:** ![Iguana\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@Iguana\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iguana_Boy)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2002, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-phrase-touch-base/133006/5 "2002-10-19T21:43:25Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Navin \*  
> \*\*i agree it probably has reference to baseball, but the context in which the phrase is used has no apparent connection to the sport. \*\*

Whilst the phrase is no longer restricted to sports situations, I disagree that there is no apparent connection.

To “touch base” means to go back to or contact a place, often the place where you started - such as **home**!

Add this to **Rick** ’s WAG and the connection seems quite clear to me.

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**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2002, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-phrase-touch-base/133006/6 "2002-10-20T01:40:40Z")

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And in addition to what **Rick** mentions, you must touch every base as you run around the diamond. Because you can be tagged out bewteen bases, if you hit a long ball and then somehow miss touching first base, and you make it to second, then you can be tagged out standing firmly on second base. (Sometimes you’ll see fielders tag a runner even after he looks like he’s safe, just in case.) I have no idea if this has ever actually happened in a big league game.

So “touching base” is a contact that you need to make to make sure you’re “safe”.