We’ve all heard of it, we all talk about it and many of us have done it. Despite its commonality, however, the question still remains – just what does it mean?

The phrase “hooking up” is one of the most ambiguous phrases to ever cross the lips of college students. The phrase is most commonly heard on weekends, particularly after parties.

What was your friend doing with that random guy at the party? Why were you locked out of your room when your roommate’s girlfriend came over last night? Where did you disappear to at the party?

If there’s one thing we like more than actually hooking up, it’s talking about it and who did it with whom. But the phrase takes on a multitude of meanings, from kissing in the corner to full-blown sex.

The term has been broadly defined, in particular by Web sites such as urbandictionary.com, but is generally a no-strings-attached interaction. It’s casual sex, oral sex, feeling someone up, French kissing, going to third base, a few drinks and a walk of shame in the morning; it is any and all physical relations; it is a word with no denotation but an excessive array of connotations.

“When I think of hooking up, I think kissing and boobs,” related one Wash. U. sophomore.

Hooking up is usually done under the influence of alcohol, as often occurs at parties.

Intoxication lends itself to a subset of hooking up – the drunken hook-up. Usually, the participants do not know each other and don’t remember all of it the next day. The most common environment for the drunken hook-up is Frat Row.

Another subset of the term is the booty-call hook-up. Not actually dating, but not altogether spontaneous, the booty-call can be viewed as hooking up with someone on a regular basis, usually on the weekends. An excellent alternative for those who like to keep their lives very scheduled. Just pencil that one in for Friday.

Ever had a nasty breakup? Find yourself missing your ex? It’s no problem with ex-sex. Again, frequently done while under the influence, the ex hook-up occurs when paths cross between former lovers, usually at the frats or a mutual friend’s party, and previously held urges cannot be contained. Result: usually regrettable but often repeated.

Perhaps the most regrettable is the friend hook-up. Take two good buddies, throw some alcohol into the mix and voil…, you’ve got yourself an awkward situation. Even if the two of you don’t remember, your other friends sure as hell will and they probably have photographic evidence. It may strain the friendship, but remember that time heals all wounds. Just make sure to destroy the pictures.

“Making out” is the tamer linguistic cousin of hooking up, but it’s still vague, running the gamut of physical interaction, but with more emphasis on groping and kissing.

And, if you’re British, you may not be hooking up at all, but rather snogging. Just as ambiguous (Is it kissing? Is it sex?) but with a little more international appeal.

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