To spoon

Posted by ESC on October 30, 2001

In Reply to: Slang term query posted by ACR on October 30, 2001

: What does "to spoon" mean and what is the origin of this expression? What is it in reference to in the sexual sense?

My opinion: "To spoon" is a sweet old-fashioned term that means cuddling and a light kiss or two. Here's what I found in a reference:

TO SPOON "late 1850s, originally this had meant to nestle against one another spoon fashion, as to keep warm, make room for others in a family bed, etc." From I Hear America Talking: An Illustrated History of American Words and Phrases by Stuart Berg Flexner (Von Nostrand Reinhold Co., New York, 1976).

• To spoon R. Berg 10/30/01