Define Fling

What is a fling?

I'm asking because suddenly it's occured to me that I've had "flings" that were so much more than that. That I've fallen in every one of them, to some extent. That I really do care about people I have short romantic encounters with. So what is the difference between a "fling" and a "short love affair" or "short romantic encouter"? What do these phrases mean? When I think fling, I think emotionless sexual encounter that probably lasted a couple/few days.

What if it's more than that? What do you call it then?

Share...?

~jennyrose

i really like this page.

so.. i just woke up from a long cat-nap, and, ahh, i'm not feeling especially articulate. i'm just going to take this moment to agree with what jenla says. and even then.. i've had 'sexual encounters' that lasted even less than two days, which have impacted me greatly.. indeed, some of those were the ones that meant the most, simply because of the person, situation, affect it had on me at the time, whatever. i've never really had a serious, monogamous relationship.. but i've been with different boys, and i've fallen in love, and i've experienced what it is to feel that two-way attraction, be it both emotional and physical.. and whenever i use the term 'fling', it seems to sort of undersize it. a 'fling' sounds so.. fleeting, physical-based, i dunno.. it doesn't put as much emphasis as i feel it's due. i'm not sure. the sleepiness is talking again. i'll post here again later. love...

                            -moth

Yes a fling is physical, yes a fling lasts for a short time... if there's more emotion in it, I don't think that makes it something else... Hmm. I think to me, what makes it a fling is that both people know going into it that it will be short. You know, I think you could even have a purely emotional fling with no physical involvement.[1] Yeah.

More thoughts on Flings from Marina. Some flings are not flings. The involvement, emotional or physical, lasts longer than the actual amount of time spent flinging. Usually emotional involvement. Is this really a fling? Well, it's something... I think the people involved tend to call such longer-lasting-than-they-were-supposed-to deals flings, because... well, they were supposed to be flings. Maybe they're affairs. A fling, it happens and then it stops happening. Good luck, I say... flings seem rather rare. Hm... under this system, if a fling happens, stops happening, but is gossiped about for months afterwards, what's that? Oh, and I don't think there's such a thing as a completely emotionless sexual encounter.

A fling is tossing standards out the window.

A fling is allowing yourself to get deeply entwined veryvery quickly.

A fling is a fling in everything.

A fling is a high speed cavort through the woods in a four by four.

Instead of a luxury sedan cruising the neighborhood.

Yay flings.

We salute you and your demoralisation, joyfull rambuntiousness, warring properties and utter universal infection.

Wind.

Being flung...can be an absolutely necessary thing in teenagedom. I suppose defining fling is difficult, as there is no duration of time that it is specifically for, but agreeing with the previous post-ers, it is usually erratic and fast and fleeting. As far as me personally...the "fling" is sort of a distinctive thing from a "short sexual encounter"...I'd probably pin it down as repeated connection that goes by quickly and carries no significant emotional baggage; it's purely for pleasures' sake. ~Maggie L.

When I think of a "fling," I think of emotional as well as physical. It's just that the relationship is short. I agree with Marina about how a fling is physical, yet if it has more emotion in it you do not need to define it as anything else. Jekissa (Jess. C.)

[1] Oh thaaaat's what that was, back in . ! .

Thanks for pointing that out Marina, well-said. ~Tessa, who just found a context for a very signifigent part of her life.

Hmmm I dont know how I feel about this one. I think I fling is when two people know that it is only going to last a few days or a week and then thats it. It does not mean that you can not fall in love with that person or have vary strong feelings towards that person. I think its more of a time thing and knowing that it will end in a vary short ammount of time. - Huck

i think maybe a fling is when you don't intend for it to be pursued further. when it's not going to continue once the situation ceases to exist. i...oppose to flings. that...doesn't make me stop. RoyaBoya