# What does "hook up" mean to you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 10, 2006, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-hook-up-mean-to-you/343939 "2006-02-10T23:58:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [February 11, 2006, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-hook-up-mean-to-you/343939/21 "2006-02-11T19:08:15Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > Boink? Well, I guess that’s another word that might or might not have sexual connotations, depending on the context. (Scientific progress, for example, goes “[Boink](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0836218787/qid=1139684646/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-0650895-6316063?s=books&v=glance&n=283155)”.) ---
**Author:** ![anu-la1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2006, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-hook-up-mean-to-you/343939/22 "2006-02-11T23:49:00Z")
A continuum of sexual activity just short of sex and used in the context of a casual/quasi-anonymous sexual encounter. Like, I hooked up with that guy from Wills and Trusts after beer and darts last weekend. I would not use “hooked up” to refer to anything with a boyfriend unless it was “I hooked up with bf last weekend to see Brokeback Mountain,” thereby taking it back to its older/non-sexual meaning. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2006, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-hook-up-mean-to-you/343939/23 "2006-02-12T02:31:37Z")
> [@cerberus](#): > > If over the age of 30, “Hook Up” refers to the act of attaching some sort of vehicle to some other sort of vehicle. Or perhaps to obtaining some sort of phone, gas, water or electric service for one’s building. > > If under 30 or so, apparantly it refers to a social engagement that will invovle, with high likelihood, some sort of sexual interplay. So what does Joey Tribiani (Friends, Joey) who is well into his 30s do with girls he meets in a bar? ---
**Author:** ![Ottoerotic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/6de8d8/32.png) [@Ottoerotic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ottoerotic)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2006, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-hook-up-mean-to-you/343939/24 "2006-02-12T04:39:19Z")
Male 22, and the only time I’ve ever used the phrase hook up was in a non sexual, hanging out kind of way. Which is strange, because thinking back on it I’ve only said it about women. Saying I hooked up with Heather this weekend sounds completely natural, (and in my opinion carries no sexual overtones at all) but to say that I hooked up with Derek somehow feels odd. Hmmm… ---
**Author:** ![phungi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phungi/32/395_2.png) [@phungi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phungi)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2006, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-hook-up-mean-to-you/343939/25 "2006-02-12T15:13:10Z")
being married male, it means “everything I cannot do” with a woman I desire… ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2006, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-hook-up-mean-to-you/343939/26 "2006-02-12T18:47:52Z")
Depending on context, a hookup can be meeting someone, but that’s _only_ my assumption when I know people are platonic. Traditionally, it tends to be phrased as something that’s going to happen - eg, “Sharon and I need to hook up this weekend [and, impliedly, see Curious George].” Otherwise, my assumption when I hear someone say he hooked up with a girl is that there was an ejaculation at some point. YMMV, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2006, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-hook-up-mean-to-you/343939/27 "2006-02-12T23:49:08Z")
I actually sort of assume ‘to hook up’ does not, in fact, include actual sex. I wouldn’t feel the need to correct anyone about it, but to me it implies making out/heavy petting. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-hook-up-mean-to-you/343939.md?page=1)