# What exactly does it mean to "make a pass"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 5, 2003, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-does-it-mean-to-make-a-pass/173152 "2003-05-05T10:14:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-does-it-mean-to-make-a-pass/173152/1 "2003-05-05T10:14:04Z")
I’ve never been entirely clear on this. When people talk about making a pass at someone, what exactly does that refer to? I know it means making your affection known to the other person, but does the term refer to all methods of doing so? ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-does-it-mean-to-make-a-pass/173152/2 "2003-05-05T10:43:08Z")
Hitting on them. Unsubtly saying or making clear the equivalent of “I’m interested, and available, are you?” I suppose it does refer to all methods of doing so. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-does-it-mean-to-make-a-pass/173152/3 "2003-05-05T11:03:30Z")
“Hey, babe, wanna fuck?” Or, if you want to be slightly less overt, “Hey, babe, wanna have sex?” ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-does-it-mean-to-make-a-pass/173152/4 "2003-05-05T14:07:07Z")
**Silentgoldfish** , would you call asking someone out (in a polite manner) “making a pass”? Asking someone out would be expressing interest, but to me at least, wouldn’t be a pass. IMHO, a pass is a bit more overtly sexual. It is hard to describe, but to me, something like sliding a hand over the back and butt would be a pass, and so would “hey, wanna go make out?” would be, too, but not “Would you like to go to dinner sometime?” ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-does-it-mean-to-make-a-pass/173152/5 "2003-05-05T15:21:51Z")
It’s like football, you throw something sexual at someone… Maybe they catch it & you score 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-does-it-mean-to-make-a-pass/173152/6 "2003-05-05T15:23:03Z")
So would you characterize it as one step further than asking out to a date, or just different situations? When someone says “he made a pass at me,” would that indicate interest in sex rather than a relationship? ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-does-it-mean-to-make-a-pass/173152/7 "2003-05-05T15:53:51Z")
I would only say someone made a pass at me if they did or said something that indicated they were interested in sex. Maybe that person would be interested in a relationship as well, but definitely sex.