Do You Know Your Bases?

Originating from America, many men use ‘bases’ as a metaphor to describe their sexual conquests. Taken from Baseball terms, hitting a ‘home run’ is what most men aim to achieve, both on and off the pitch. The usage dates back to World War II and is still regularly used in conversation today. However, with the translation into the English language, there is some confusion about which base means what. Here is a clear description of what’s what so you know which euphemisms to use when your filling in your mates on your latest success!

First Base

This means kissing on the lips, snogging or french kissing. A more vague term for this is ‘making out’. This is more than just a peck on the lips; it is where the mouths and tongues touch for a prolonged, more passionate kiss.

Second Base

This includes touching each other’s bodies – groping and fondling. It often involves feeling up underneath the shirt or top. It is usually combined with kissing to complete second base. Another American term for this level of intimacy is ‘fooling around’.

Third Base

This level refers to mutual masturbation; rubbing or stimulating each other’s genitals to ‘finger’ a woman or give a man a hand job. It used to just refer to manual stimulation, but it can now also mean oral sex.

Fourth Base / Home Run / Home Plate

This mean full sexual intercourse. It is sometimes described by Americans as ‘going all the way’ or ‘scoring’. The latter is more vague and could apply to any of the above levels of progress.

There are also some other terms taken from Baseball that relate to sexual activity or preference. ‘Striking out’ can mean sexual frustration or rejection from another.

When referring to male homosexual intercourse, the participants can be called the pitcher and the catcher, and bisexuals are known as ‘switch hitters’. If you’re lucky enough to have a threesome with two women, this is called double play.

Now that you’re all clued up on the baseball lingo, you’ll be able to boast to your friends about how far you got with that girl you dated or how far you wish you could go with a sexy London escort!