get to first base

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

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Verb

get to first base (third-person singular simple present gets to first base, present participle getting to first base, simple past got to first base, past participle (UK) got to first base or (US) gotten to first base)

1. (idiomatic) To get as far as the first phase or milestone of a goal.
   • 1979 April 28, J. Lee, “I'm Still Here”, in Gay Community News, page 5:

     We are not just people who "happen to be queer" — we are a terribly oppressed minority who will never get to first base in our battle for human and constitutional rights until we stop pretending that we are "like everyone else" and start fighting for our uniqueness.

2. (idiomatic) To get as far as kissing in sexual advances.

See also

• go all the way
• take it to the next level

Further reading

• “get to first base”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.