# What Does Hook Up Mean (Social Interaction)? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 2, 2014, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-hook-up-mean-social-interaction/703318 "2014-11-02T02:09:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-hook-up-mean-social-interaction/703318/1 "2014-11-02T02:09:48Z")
The term is unclear to me. Could I get the straight dope? (Sometimes I get the sense people mean sexual intercourse and sometimes I get the sense people mean much less…) ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-hook-up-mean-social-interaction/703318/2 "2014-11-02T02:14:49Z")
It’s intentionally vague. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-hook-up-mean-social-interaction/703318/3 "2014-11-02T02:21:37Z")
Can be either meaning. Jack hooked me up with a new sofa. (got it at a good price) Sam & Mary hooked up after the office party. (they are getting busy) ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-hook-up-mean-social-interaction/703318/4 "2014-11-02T02:28:23Z")
Intentionally vague. The main distinguishing characteristic is that girls want it, and it doesn’t lead to a lasting relationship. The muddled bit is what it actually is… it seems like guys think it’s no-strings-attached sex, while girls think it’s no-strings-attached making out, possibly leading to sex if the stars are aligned. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-hook-up-mean-social-interaction/703318/5 "2014-11-02T02:47:27Z")
I always associated getting laid and hook up as the same thing. It’s the entire experience. Meeting somebody, drinks, idle talk, and sex. One night stand is another similar expression. ---
**Author:** ![Poto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ab992/32.png) [@Poto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poto)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-hook-up-mean-social-interaction/703318/6 "2014-11-02T02:59:10Z")
Hooked up simply means a date. Sex or not. It does not mean it cannot lead to a relationship. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-hook-up-mean-social-interaction/703318/7 "2014-11-02T05:11:36Z")
> [@Poto](#): > > Hooked up simply means a date. Sex or not. It does not mean it cannot lead to a relationship. I’ve never heard it used in that way. In a social context, hooked up always seems to mean two people met and then on the same evening (usually it’s evening) they went off to be alone together. With emphasis on “alone”, so that they can get very naughty if it works out that way. A date usually involves pre-planning of some kind; hooking up is more spontaneous. ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-hook-up-mean-social-interaction/703318/8 "2014-11-02T05:13:32Z")
In the context of a man and a woman: It usually mean an encounter geared towards sex. In the context of two men or two men: It’s open to interpretation ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-hook-up-mean-social-interaction/703318/9 "2014-11-02T05:22:09Z")
Can’t help but wonder if “hook up” relates to the physical act of coupling. Like you hook up a U-haul trailer to a car using the tongue and ball. A guy and gal hook up parts too. 😃 \ dunno but it is intriguing. I think there is a difference in a one night stand and a hook up. One night stand implies meeting a stranger. I think of Hook Up as acquaintances getting together for a fun evening that ends up with a romp in the bedroom. Might be over thinking this. But it’s my 2 cents worth on the topic. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Stringbean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Stringbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringbean)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-hook-up-mean-social-interaction/703318/10 "2014-11-02T05:28:30Z")
“Hooking up” means anything from making out to intercourse. It is typically used to describe two people who are intentionally not in a relationship or are just about to enter a relationship. It does not imply a date. In fact, in the most common usage it means they met up just to get it on. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Joker\_and\_the\_Thief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e79b87/32.png) [@The\_Joker\_and\_the\_Thief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Joker_and_the_Thief)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-hook-up-mean-social-interaction/703318/11 "2014-11-02T05:29:43Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I always associated getting laid and hook up as the same thing. > > It’s the entire experience. Meeting somebody, drinks, idle talk, and sex. One night stand is another similar expression. I’ve never heard getting laid mean anything other than honest-to-goodness sex, while hook up can mean less. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-hook-up-mean-social-interaction/703318/12 "2014-11-02T06:06:48Z")
Yep, first base to home run. Meaning can normally only be ascertained by asking or by inferring from context. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-hook-up-mean-social-interaction/703318/13 "2014-11-02T10:37:24Z")
To me, it has always meant making out: tongue-kissing, heavy petting, grinding. I would even consider oral sex to be beyond the implications of the term. I did, however, just see a recent movie called _Men, Women, and Children_ in which the teenage characters use the term “hooking up” to specifically mean intercourse- which had me confused at first. I don’t know if this is a reflection of the screenwriter’s use of the word or if it is what “kids these days” are saying. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-hook-up-mean-social-interaction/703318/14 "2014-11-02T11:50:47Z")
“Hook up” in a romantic way always means sex, to me. No sex, no hook-up. If I call one of my buddies and say “let’s hook up over the weekend”, that just means let’s get together for a beer or something. ---
**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:** [November 2, 2014, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-hook-up-mean-social-interaction/703318/15 "2014-11-02T16:38:21Z")
[Previous](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=663801) [threads](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=234978) ---
**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:** [November 4, 2014, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-hook-up-mean-social-interaction/703318/16 "2014-11-04T17:06:06Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > If I call one of my buddies and say “let’s hook up over the weekend”, that just means let’s get together for a beer or something. And then have the sex after the beer? ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-hook-up-mean-social-interaction/703318/17 "2014-11-04T17:08:27Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Sam & Mary hooked up after the office party. (they are getting busy) So how vague do you want to be here? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-hook-up-mean-social-interaction/703318/18 "2014-11-04T19:15:13Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Can’t help but wonder if “hook up” relates to the physical act of coupling. Like you hook up a U-haul trailer to a car using the tongue and ball. A guy and gal hook up parts too. 😃 \ dunno but it is intriguing. I doubt it. To me, the metaphor suggests just getting together, connecting (which it clearly still does mean when used in a non-“romantic” context), or maybe even forming a relationship (though not necessarily a serious pair bond). For some people, in some contexts, it seems to have come to mean getting together explicitly for sexual intercourse, but, surely, that is a later, secondary development of the meaning. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-hook-up-mean-social-interaction/703318/19 "2014-11-04T19:17:44Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Can’t help but wonder if “hook up” relates to the physical act of coupling. Like you hook up a U-haul trailer to a car using the tongue and ball. A guy and gal hook up parts too. 😃 \ dunno but it is intriguing. I doubt it. To me, the metaphor suggests just getting together, connecting (which it clearly still does mean when used in a non-“romantic” context), or maybe even forming a relationship (though not necessarily a serious pair bond). For some people, in some contexts, it seems to have come to mean getting together explicitly for sexual intercourse, but, surely, that is a later, secondary development of the meaning. Frankly, sexual intercourse is not really much like being hooked together. You can pull apart quite easily, and do after you have come. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-hook-up-mean-social-interaction/703318/20 "2014-11-04T19:22:21Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Frankly, sexual intercourse is not really much like being hooked together. You can pull apart quite easily, and do after you have come. Not dogs! :eek: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-hook-up-mean-social-interaction/703318.md?page=2)