# Women Lifting One Leg While Kissing **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 21, 2003, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-lifting-one-leg-while-kissing/196798 "2003-08-21T23:49:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Orange\_Skinner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3be4f8/32.png) [@Orange\_Skinner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orange_Skinner)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2003, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-lifting-one-leg-while-kissing/196798/1 "2003-08-21T23:49:38Z")
Inspired by this [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=206215). Where/When did the whole women lifting one knee when kissing thing originate? Right now I’m assuming it was done in some old movie, and over time it’s become rather iconic. Anyone know the history behind it? ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-lifting-one-leg-while-kissing/196798/2 "2003-08-22T01:02:43Z")
To maintain balance while leaning forward and up (most women are shorter than male partener). ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-lifting-one-leg-while-kissing/196798/3 "2003-08-22T01:25:41Z")
**Orange Skinner** , that thread is about women kicking up their lower leg behind them during the kiss, not lifting their knee, which would mean something a little more direct. As **antechinus** says, it would originally have been for balance. However there was a movie from the Golden Age wherein it was taken as a sign of True Love, if done involuntarily. I’ll see if I can find it. I also recall a more recent film (of the _Clueless_ genre, if not _Clueless_ itself) that mentioned that too. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-lifting-one-leg-while-kissing/196798/4 "2003-08-22T01:44:22Z")
> [@](#): > > I also recall a more recent film (of the Clueless genre, if not Clueless itself) that mentioned that too. I’m pretty sure this was _The Princess Diaries_[http://us.imdb.com/Details?0247638](http://us.imdb.com/Details?0247638) . If so, there’s a scene where the princess wonders whether her leg will just kick-up in her first kiss, like it does in old movies she’s seen. Can’t find the older film just yet. ---
**Author:** ![Orange\_Skinner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3be4f8/32.png) [@Orange\_Skinner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orange_Skinner)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-lifting-one-leg-while-kissing/196798/5 "2003-08-22T01:52:04Z")
That’s what I meant, **AndrewT** , bending at the knee and kicking the lower leg back, not lifting the knee. Sorry about that. I meant to say lifting the one leg, or bending one leg at the knee, and sort of…mated the two. :smack: I don’t know about the balance aspect, though…having been the shorter female myself, there were a). no balance problems to begin with and b). not having both feet on the ground while trying to lean forward and up would make you off balance, as opposed to helping with it. I guess it’d depend on the height difference, stance, etc., though. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-lifting-one-leg-while-kissing/196798/6 "2003-08-22T02:02:29Z")
Exactly. When I’m kissing a woman shorter than I am, hard (as I’m privileged to do quite often right now 🙂 ), I’m leaning over her and she’s bending backwards if anything. But that kind of passionate clinch didn’t get shown in Golden Age movies, so He stands up straight and tall and She has to stretch up and lean forward to get her lips on his. As her head and arms are leaning a little forward, her leg kicks back for balance. Usually she’s wearing a mid-length skirt or dress, so only the lower leg has freedom to move much. ---
**Author:** ![j.c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@j.c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j.c)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-lifting-one-leg-while-kissing/196798/7 "2003-08-22T05:18:46Z")
I lift my leg up like that when I reach for things on a high shelf, and I’m not THAT crazy about coffee filters. ---
**Author:** ![AveDementia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@AveDementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AveDementia)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-lifting-one-leg-while-kissing/196798/8 "2003-08-22T08:25:44Z")
“Shirley” on Laverne and Shirley did that. My family loved that show- I hated it and I still hate it. Excuse me while I go try to cleanse my brain… ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-lifting-one-leg-while-kissing/196798/9 "2003-08-22T08:29:56Z")
So did Squiggy. ---
**Author:** ![ChunkyLover53](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c0e974/32.png) [@ChunkyLover53](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChunkyLover53)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-lifting-one-leg-while-kissing/196798/10 "2003-08-22T13:57:29Z")
My dog lifts his leg - does that mean he’s crazy about peeing? My wife is 5’2 and I’m 6’2 and she never lifts her leg when she kisses me - but maybe she just doesn’t really love me either. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-lifting-one-leg-while-kissing/196798/11 "2003-08-22T14:29:33Z")
Fierra and I are within one inch of height, and she still lifts her leg whilst kissing me. And I have on occasion, but I have some balance problems. Una ---
**Author:** ![Mort\_Furd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mort\_Furd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mort_Furd)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-lifting-one-leg-while-kissing/196798/12 "2003-08-22T16:11:11Z")
Mrs. Furd has done this on occassion. Her explanation was that she was already pretty wound up, and the kiss started the juices flowing. She pulled up her knee a little so as to be better able to squeeze her thighs together and clamp things shut before making a mess. ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-lifting-one-leg-while-kissing/196798/13 "2003-08-22T16:23:37Z")
:eek: ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-lifting-one-leg-while-kissing/196798/14 "2003-08-22T16:32:30Z")
When Ruta Lee was the “hostess” on the mid-70s game show “High Rollers,” she always greeted the host (Trebek or Martindale" with a “lifted leg kiss.” Doesn’t answer the OP, but just thought I’d throw it in. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-lifting-one-leg-while-kissing/196798/15 "2003-08-22T18:25:43Z")
\*\*j.c.\*\*Grin! I do it when opening heavy doors, and I’m sure there’s fairly little romance involved. (I respect doors for their personhood…) Trinopus