Board index › Coping in life › Love and Dating

What is 'going out' supposed to mean?

Page 1 of 2 [ 19 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next

Previous topic | Next topic

Transhuman
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl

User avatar

Joined: 6 Aug 2011
Gender: Male
Posts: 136

24 Jan 2012, 2:30 pm

CrinklyCrustacean wrote:
Transhuman wrote:
Does it mean going out on a date, or simply having a relationship without dating? I heard that it can mean both. But when and where is the second definition more appropriate?
Is the definition the same, for, say, high school students and grown up adults?

In my experience:

"Do you want to go out with me?" = "Do you want to be my boyfriend/girlfriend?"
"Shall we go out to lunch/have a coffee?" = exactly what it says, no romantic interest implied.
"X is going out with Y" = X and Y are boyfriend and girlfriend (going on dates is implied here, as most couples do).

Dating is something you do once you are in a relationship. If you're having lunch/coffee together to get to know each other outside a relationship, then it is platonic.


Then what is a date? Do people just approach others and ask them if they want to go out with them (as in, be their boyfriend, girlfriend)?



Northeastern292
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 16 Sep 2008
Age: 33
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,159
Location: Brooklyn, NY/Catskills

24 Jan 2012, 3:50 pm

Asp-Z wrote:
Depends on the context, but usually, if you say "I'm going out with xyz" it means that xyz is your boyfriend or girlfriend. But if you say "I'm going out with xyz tonight for dinner", it could just mean as friends.


Well said. Same thing as the definition of "hooking up", which has different meanings oddly enough.



EtiamTempus
Butterfly
Butterfly

User avatar

Joined: 22 Jan 2012
Age: 35
Gender: Female
Posts: 17
Location: Los Angeles, CA

24 Jan 2012, 5:21 pm

Northeastern292 wrote:
Asp-Z wrote:
Depends on the context, but usually, if you say "I'm going out with xyz" it means that xyz is your boyfriend or girlfriend. But if you say "I'm going out with xyz tonight for dinner", it could just mean as friends.


Well said. Same thing as the definition of "hooking up", which has different meanings oddly enough.


I respectfully disagree. The term "hooking up" usually implies either a single or multiple outings involving something more physical. I've seen the terms "hooking up" and "one night stand" more closely linked than "hooking up" and "dating".

These terms, however, having been used in so many different ways, there may no longer be a clear-cut answer. More likely than not, they are relative and it probably depends on how you see them.



Northeastern292
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 16 Sep 2008
Age: 33
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,159
Location: Brooklyn, NY/Catskills

24 Jan 2012, 7:36 pm

EtiamTempus wrote:
Northeastern292 wrote:
Asp-Z wrote:
Depends on the context, but usually, if you say "I'm going out with xyz" it means that xyz is your boyfriend or girlfriend. But if you say "I'm going out with xyz tonight for dinner", it could just mean as friends.


Well said. Same thing as the definition of "hooking up", which has different meanings oddly enough.


I respectfully disagree. The term "hooking up" usually implies either a single or multiple outings involving something more physical. I've seen the terms "hooking up" and "one night stand" more closely linked than "hooking up" and "dating".

These terms, however, having been used in so many different ways, there may no longer be a clear-cut answer. More likely than not, they are relative and it probably depends on how you see them.


I respectfully understand, and partially agree with your rebuttal. But at the same time, things do change over time, albeit slowly.