Making out
Making out is a term of American origin dating back to at least 1949,[1] and is used to refer to kissing, including extended French kissing or heavy kissing of the neck (called necking "above the neck"[2]),[3] or to acts of non-penetrative sex such as heavy petting ("intimate contact, just short of sexual intercourse"[2]).[3][4] Equivalent terms in other dialects include the British English getting off and the Hiberno-English shifting.[5] When performed in a stationary vehicle, it has been euphemistically referred to as parking,[6][7] coinciding with American car culture.
"Snog" redirects here. For the band, see Snog (band).Characteristics[edit]
Making out is usually considered an expression of romantic affection or sexual attraction. An episode of making out is frequently referred to as a "make-out session" or simply "making out", depending on the speaker's vernacular.[22] It covers a wide range of sexual behavior,[23] and means different things to different age groups in different parts of the United States.[1] It typically refers to kissing,[3] including prolonged, passionate, open-mouth kissing (also known as French kissing), and intimate skin-to-skin contact.[1][3] The term can also refer to other forms of foreplay such as heavy petting (sometimes simply called petting),[3][4] which typically involves some genital stimulation,[24] but usually not the direct act of penetrative sexual intercourse.[3][4][25]
The perceived significance of making out may be affected by the age and relative sexual experience of the participants. Teenagers sometimes play party games in which making out is the main activity as an act of exploration. Games in this category include seven minutes in heaven and spin the bottle.[26]
Teenagers may have had social gatherings in which making out was the predominant event. In the United States, these events were referred to as "make-out parties" and may have been confined to a specific area, called the "make-out room".[27] These make-out parties were generally not regarded as sex parties, though heavy petting may have been involved, depending on the group.