I've usually taken 'hooking up' to mean have sex, but if I was having a discussion with a friend I would usually ask them to clarify.

'Fooling around' to me means anything but sex.

i agree with sundaygreen, but sometimes people use "hooking up" as a reference to other explicit sexual acts that were performed without actual intercourse.

I think of "hooking up" as sex on a whim. "Fooling around" is more ambiguous of a term.

I always thought "hooking up" was an intentionally vague term that could mean anything from "making out" to "doing it." About half my friends agree with me. The other half consider "hooking up" to mean "doing it."

I agree with stumbler02... so I guess I better be a little more careful throwing it around

i'm one of those people that thought it meant anything except actual intercourse.

I thought it meant sex, kissing, being intimate with someone you dnt knw well. Idk, it means different things for different people.

Check out urbandictionary.com

I always thought it had something to do with hanging a houseplant from the ceiling.

I agree with Stumbler02

To me "hooking up" means having sex, but when my friends use those words, I usually ask for clarification since I know it's a vague term. "Fooling around" is intimate activity beyond kissing and caressing but not including sexual intercourse.

I agree with sundaygreen

'hooking up' = sex
'Fooling around' = anything but sex.

I agree. 'Hooking up' was an intentionally vague term that could mean anything, from making out to sex.

And I also agree that this man should not only have kept his sexual escapades to himself, but if he was going to tell it in detail to his friends then he should have not done it in a public place. And if so then not so loudly so that everyone could hear him.

I also agree with Stumbler02...

hooking up usually is defined by the context and usually requires clarification.

Hooking up = sex
Fooling/messing around = everything else

Everything in between to actually 'it'.

I think it depends on the person. For me, "hooking up" is making out and possibly doing other things, but NOT sex.

To me, it could mean actual sex or just making out. Where I come from, hooking up isn't so much about what kind of action did you get, as it is about how much you care about going exclusive or ever seeing your hook-up again. lol

Weird. I always thought hooking up was just kissing, too. As in hooked lips or something.

Hooking up where I'm from is usually sex.

Honestly to me, it could mean anything from making out (not just kissing) to sex. Usually sex though, or messing around at least. I usually ask people to clarify. Oh, and I HATE when guys brag about hooking up with girls, especially in explicit detail and when other people can overhear. :/ yuck.

Around here it means sex. Casual sex usually.

Means being a slut. (Both men and women).

wow GScott, judgmental much?

I've always associated "hooking up" with impromptu casual sex.

I think the reason the term "hooking-up" is so popular is because its intentionally ambiguous. The person your talking to can take whatever they want from it. Personally I tend to use hooking-up to describe anything from making out to having sex.

Oh man! lmao...I agree with Gscott86. She's cool. Can someone clarify what "messing/fooling around" consists of? Now Im more confused.

I don't use that term so there is no confusion when I'm talking to my friends. But at first I took it as kissing and stuff, but now I hear more people using to describe sex. So I have no clue. If i were to use it that term, i would mean kissin'. Oh well the word sex doesn't bother me.

it can mean anything from just going out somewhere together to "relations" lol

I have no use for the term; but when I hear it used, I equate it with casual sex with whom they aren't in a committed relationship. And that has always been the case.

relationship without commitment

Man it's depressing how blurry the lines are in the age we live in.

I really detest this term. I think it's deliberately vague, but I always took it to mean kissing only, although in my mind, various facial expressions could change the meaning...

In my circle of friends, we used to use the terms "hooking up" and "fooling around" interchangeably - they both mean anything but sex.

When i was in college, we would use the term 'hooking up' to mean more than just kissing up to everything except sex. But now (a few years later) i find a lot more people use it to include sex.
I agree with a lot of the other posters that a lot of people like the term because it is intentionally vague. I have definitely used the term on purpose when I don't want to go into detail about an encounter.

To me, it's always been sexual activities (whether or not they include actual sex) with someone you're not in a relationship with.

"Hooking up" means sex and "messing around" means kissing/not sex.
UK-side at least.

Nope, not judgemental. OKay, just a tad bit, but who's not? Hooking up supposedly means casual sex? To me, sex is something special to be shared, so casual sex means being slutty (for both men and women). Doesn't mean I think they're total sluts, well, depends on who it is. (Have one sob in mind).

Ditto to SundayGreen. That's how my friends and I use the terms.

Gosh. I think it's intentionally ambiguous. To me, it means anything from making out to having sex.

GScott86, that's really not a cool sentiment. Dearsugar isn't about judging people.

I'm not judging anyone, I'm just stating what I think about it. To each their own, I like sex being about emotional connection, others like it for the more physical connection. We're all entitled to our opinions right? I'm not saying anyone's a horrible person cuz they have casual sex, that's just my thoughts...I'm entitled to them.

GScott --- absolutely everyone is entitled to their opinions! I actually agree with you --- I don't take sex lightly and it's not something I do (or did - I'm married now ) casually. I just think the term "slut" is v. derogatory.

GScott --- absolutely everyone is entitled to their opinions! I actually agree with you --- I don't take sex lightly and it's not something I do (or did - I'm married now ) casually. I just think the term "slut" is v. derogatory.

Lol...sorry, *sigh* guess if you didn't notice...there might...was...a hint of anger/irritation in that post (issues to work out...bad day) so this just really struck a nerve. Everyone has their own morals, views, values w/e...just when it comes to sex for me...it's special every single time...even though there's the physical, I can't help but feel that emotional connection, and I wouldn't even want to do it with anyone other than the person I truly love...really I never new what "hooking up" was until something recently went down in my own life...I don't view anyone as being sluts or slutty...I just frankly think the whole idea itself is.

I've always thought of hooking up to mean sex.

I absolutely and totally agree with Gscott. Classy women are kinda rare nowadays. Sometimes "Hooking up" can mean going to the movies or a first date.

hooking up to me doesn't mean sex - it's just kissing and all that other stuff minus the actual intercouse. i thin that when people are 'blase' about hooking up, it kind of demeans the whole thing and makes sex less significant.

in my social circle, hooking up is just kissing. sometimes fooling around too, but not sex.