spooning n.
flirtation; thus as adj., flirting.
 | Aus. Town and Country Jrnl (Sydney) 18 Nov. 660/3: As to the sinfulness of tampering with a girl's affections by what in slang is called ‘spooning,’ it was purely absurd to think of it. | |
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | ‘All Do It’ 🎵 For hours three or four, lovers spooning at the door. | |
| ‘’Arry on the Turf’ in Punch 29 Nov. 297/1: The prog and the lotion was lummy, the chaff and the spoonin’ was prime. | |
![[Aus]](/static/img/flags/aus.png "Australia") | Bulletin (Sydney) 21 Feb. 3/2: Be content with mooning – / Is it not absurd? / Young men call it spooning, / They do, upon my word. | |
| My Secret Life (1966) VI 1096: Then I began spooning, and playing with her. | |
| Sporting Times 22 Feb. 2/3: He gets no spooning on the quiet, or, at any rate, is not supposed to. | |
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | More Fables in Sl. (1960) 160: All she knew about Spooning was what she had Read in Ella Wheeler Wilcox. | |
| ‘Good For Trade’ Sporting Times 25 Mar. 1/4: To the tradesman in the sweetstuff line ’tis sweet, ’tis very sweet [...] / When he sees a spooning couple slowly ambling up the street. | |
![[Ire]](/static/img/flags/ire.png "Ireland") | ‘A Little Cloud’ Dubliners (1956) 79: If it ever occurs you may bet your bottom dollar there’ll be no mooning and spooning about it. | |
| Truth (Melbourne) 7 Feb. 2/4: She saw them kissing and spooning together. | |
| Madame Prince 64: We’re going to take ourselves off, allowing a little time for spooning and canoodling on the way. | |
| Farewell, My Lovely (1949) 211: The spooning couples took their teeth out of each other’s necks and stared at the ship. | |
| ‘Lordy’ 🎵 The night is friendly, / With voices croonin’, / And gals and fellows in the shadows spoonin’. | |
| Gaily, Gaily 180: Such conversation was a sort of verbal spooning, inflammatory but without contact. | |
| (con. 1940s–60s) ‘Your Spooning Days Are Over’ in More Snatches and Lays 85: Your spooning days are over, / Your pilot light is out, / What used to be your sex appeal / Is now your water spout. | |
| Guardian Weekend 31 July 3: I indulge in sickening displays of spooning with my squeeze. | |
| Guardian 18 Dec. 41/4: The thought of Vladimir Putin nestling, spooning, sporting and pillow-talking [...] makes my very marrow grow cold. |