Re: Kiss (was: Many Words for One Concept (was: Interesting Words))

daniel andreasson scripsit:

> > 1. caressing, cuddling, fondling, hugging, kissing, necking,
> > petting, smooching, snuggling -- (foreplay without contact
> > with the genital organs)
>
> In Swedish, it is actually the "contact with the genital organs"
> which characterizes petting. (We have the same word in Swedish.)
> I thought it was the same in English.
In my idiolect, it sure is, and this WordNet entry is a seriously
random mixture:

cuddling, hugging, snuggling all refer to embraces;
kissing, smooching refer to kisses;
necking, petting, fondling refer to manual contact with primary erogenous zones;
caressing can be the previous, but also can be purely affectionate.

--
John Cowan           http://www.ccil.org/~cowan              cowan@ccil.org
Please leave your values        |       Check your assumptions.  In fact,
   at the front desk.           |          check your assumptions at the door.
     --sign in Paris hotel      |            --Miles Vorkosigan