Three-date rule
Encyclopedia
The Three Date Rule is a dating rule of thumb
which states that the third date is a milestone in determining whether a woman will consent to Sexual intimacy
. This is not to be confused with the Three Day Rule cited in the movie Swingers
, which states that the "industry standard" waiting period for a guy to call a girl after obtaining her phone number is 3 days, the purpose of which is to not appear desperate.
The exact origin of this term, like many longstanding traditions, is difficult to trace. There are anecdotal references going back to the "free love" era of the late 60's/early 70's. It may also be attributed to such movies of that era. The blink 182 song Wendy Clear
talks about the three date rule being stale (by the 90's).
Columnist Tom Blake claims there is no 3-date rule for people over 50, and an anonymous poll carried out by msn.match.com among 5,237 singles suggests that in general there is no such rule, judging from the answers to the question, "How many dates does it take before you become intimate?"
Rule of thumb
A rule of thumb is a principle with broad application that is not intended to be strictly accurate or reliable for every situation. It is an easily learned and easily applied procedure for approximately calculating or recalling some value, or for making some determination...
which states that the third date is a milestone in determining whether a woman will consent to Sexual intimacy
Sexual intimacy
The term "sex" is often loosely used to mean one of a number of possible degrees of sexual intimacy between humans.-Stages of Intimacy:Zoologist Desmond Morris has established a Normative progression of general stages in pair-formation leading to sexual intimacy:# Eye to body# Eye to eye# Voice to...
. This is not to be confused with the Three Day Rule cited in the movie Swingers
Swingers (1996 film)
Swingers is a 1996 comedy-drama film about the lives of single, unemployed actors living on the 'eastside' of Hollywood, California during the 1990s swing revival...
, which states that the "industry standard" waiting period for a guy to call a girl after obtaining her phone number is 3 days, the purpose of which is to not appear desperate.
The exact origin of this term, like many longstanding traditions, is difficult to trace. There are anecdotal references going back to the "free love" era of the late 60's/early 70's. It may also be attributed to such movies of that era. The blink 182 song Wendy Clear
Enema of the State
Enema of the State is the third studio album by American pop punk band Blink-182. Recorded at various locations throughout California with producer Jerry Finn, the album was first released on June 1, 1999 in the United States on MCA Records...
talks about the three date rule being stale (by the 90's).
Columnist Tom Blake claims there is no 3-date rule for people over 50, and an anonymous poll carried out by msn.match.com among 5,237 singles suggests that in general there is no such rule, judging from the answers to the question, "How many dates does it take before you become intimate?"
- One: 12.74%
- Two: 24.94%
- Three: 21.48%
- Four or more: 34.18%
- Only after marriage: 6.66%