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*hooking up with someone?"?

Posted by Smokey Stover on March 20, 2004

In Reply to: *hooking up with someone?"? posted by Bob on March 20, 2004

: : : hi there,

: : : I said this to a female friend of mine " hi, how have you been? are you *hooking up* with anyone?"

: : : what I really tried to say was " are you in a relationship with someone or do you have a boyfriend?"

: : : am I right about that?

: : What did the female friend say? Teen talk is treacherous, if you're not truly part of "the scene." There are often hidden nuances in the use of teen slang. Hooking up means connecting, with a lot of latitude depending on specific circumstances. Use "hooking up" as a gerund, if you like, but I would not use it in the present progressive. Future progressive is probably more common. (Or has the term "progressive" fallen into desuetude?) The infinitive, "to hook up," is widely used, but why not try to express yourself in standard English, in which meanings are clearer? SS

: "Hook up" and "hooking up" were once innocent terms to describe meeting, forming a new relationship, etc. But current usage among American college students is "having a sexual encounter with," a one-night stand. Treacherous waters, indeed.

I may be the only addict of Phrase Finders who is also an addict of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," but just today I saw an episode (in re-run) in which a female vampire complains to a male ditto: "Was I just a one-bite stand?" SS

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