Chesapeake Family Life June 2019

DATE NI G HT & MORE

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Taking your Hangout From Man to Dude BY STEVE ADAMS

F

ormer New York Times columnist

have a reason to get together and socialize

may not be a true “sport” or

Jennifer 8. Lee first defined

on a one-on-one basis.

purposeful exercise, it usually involves

“man dates” in 2005 as “two

But as great as man dates might be, it

some form of physical movement and

heterosexual men socializing

seems that almost anything could fall under

activity. And most likely it’s not an every-

without the crutch of business or

Ms. Lee’s very expansive definition. Dinner at

weekend thing.

sports. It is two guys meeting for the kind

a restaurant? Man date. Walking your dogs

So, while attending a baseball game or

of outing a straight man might reasonably

at the park? Man date. Going to a concert?

playing a round of golf may be your go-to

arrange with a woman.”

You get the idea. . . .

way to spend an afternoon during Men’s

Their purpose, she continued, is for men

But a “dude date” is something much

Health Month this June (or as a Father’s Day

of a certain age—more specifically the

more specific. At its essence, it’s an outing

gift—hint, hint, ladies), here are a few verb-

post-college age, when life becomes more

that, while not exclusive to men, is more

centric ideas to take your next hang-out from

structured and free time more scarce—to

likely to be arranged between men. Though it

“man” to “dude.”

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JUNE 2019