In Sex, What's Third Base?

Seattlest endured a shock to our sociocultural foundations recently.

We always thought that "Third Base" -- as it pertains to sex -- is touching the below-waist personal area.

But our companions at a bar last week, one male, one female, insisted that just touching the below-waist personal area is not enough for true third base status. Only givers/receivers of oral sex have achieved that anointed base.

Now, this whole "bases" thing is a whole hell of a lot less pertinent now than in high school. We doubt many adults report back to their friends: "Guess what, I got to second base with a girl," like they did as teenagers. Or like Seattlest did. OK, like Seattlest would have, if we'd ever gotten to second base in high school. Or college. But we digress.

Still, we want to be sure we have this straight. Our companions agreed with us that "first base" is french-kissing, "second base" is below-the-shirt shenanigans, and of course "home plate" is obvious.

The question is -- what is third base? Is it just touching the below-waist personal area? Or oral sex? Or something else?

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By Seth in Arts & Events, Miscellaneous on September 8, 2006 10:30 AM

Comments [rss]

John Brackman

You just cant change the definition. This would need to be amended by the Supreme Court. Oral is just not part of the bases equation. certainly not in my youth... Hell, call oral, stealing home plate... inside the park, etc... maybe any involvement with the sex organ other than by that of another sex organ should be called 3rd base... (masturbation does not apply...)

Seth

I think you have to have your hands under the shirt for second base, right?

Jason

I'd disagree with Wikipedia's description. I mean, not everyone gives oral (I know, a shock in this day and age but it happens), so 3rd base needs to be something that most everyone is likely to get to.

Touching, underneath one's undergarments, to me, counts enough for 3rd base.

wondering

What exactly second base?? going up or just feeling?????

s

I have always been thinking 1st base is open mouth kissing, 2nd base is breast or ass touching, and 3rd base was hand petting (with or without orgasm)

I think Oral sex could be called intentional walk (because if you do it is intentional) and anal is inside the park home run

jason

is oral rare enough to be inside-the-park? for those who are still young enough (or new enough to each other) to be counting bases, i'd have to say anal works best for that particular metaphor.

i've always believed that it was kissing (1st), manual (2nd), and oral (3rd).

Josh

In my sexually prolific youth, oral sex was third base, but I like Audrey's theory that oral sex is an inside-the-park home run, if for no other reason than that the Mets' Jose Reyes definitely got one sort last night.

Pauls Toutonghi

I agree. Baseball and sex should be separate. In fact, I've, um... heard... that many people use baseball statistics as a way to "prolong the magic," during... well... the unmentionable activity.

pocketnovel

My first boyfriend told me very matter-of-factly, "First base is open-mouth kissing, second base is manual intercourse, third base is oral intercourse, and home plate is penis-in-vagina intercourse."

Note that this sentence is permanently branded into my psyche.

K

Wikipedia say:

Third base Getting head. Eating out. Depending on the speaker, either oral sex, full nudity or a non-intercourse orgasm (especially when resulting from oral sex) or dry humping (clothed genital to genital stimulation). Sometimes, fondling below-the-waist even without orgasm is included.

So, and.

Jason

I believe you've got to consider oral to be most of the way home, relegating 3rd to heavy petting. It doesn't make any sense to me that hitting a triple would potentially be worth more than a home run. Who the hell thought baseball and sex would go well together anyway?

Matt

I agree with third base being all about below the belt petting. However, I've always referred to oral sex as the "squeeze play" defined in baseball terms (via wikipedia) as:

...a sacrifice bunt with a runner on third and fewer than two outs. The batter bunts the ball, expecting to be thrown out at first base, but hoping that the runner from third will be able to score.

Audrey

Third base has always been "heavy petting" below the belt, but oral sex is difficult to put into baseball terms. Perhaps it's an inside-the-park home run. Except those are rare, so maybe that designation should be reserved for anal.