Is this a date?

The question that may run through your mind whenever you go out with someone. Just you two.

Lets test your skills:

So you meet somebody, and decide to hang out. It happens to be dinner and a movie, he picks you up at six, opens your door, pays, and at the end of the night, he walks you up to your door. Date, or not?

I am sure that you have an idea of what a date is. I'm not gonna be as nerdy today and look up the dictionary definition (but you're welcome to, of course); I consider a date to be a time for two people to get to know each other with the purpose of starting a type of partnership. This can be a romantic one or not, and yes.. there are non-romantic dates, at least in my book. I like to think of it as an interview. When meeting friends, you do it all the time. You decide to hang out, and if things don't work out, then you just don't do it again.

Since I hear this mostly from the girls, it will be targeted toward you, alrighty? Alrights.

Two situations:

1.) You met a guy that seems a bit nervous, and it took him a while to ask if you wanted to go out somewhere with him. You guys have decided to go bowling at 8pm on a Friday night. Friday night. It is currently a Wednesday. --Analysis: Friday night, nervousness, bowling. OK pretty much everything points to "this is a date".

2) There is an awesome turtle exhibit happening at a lake, and a guy you met two weeks ago invites you to go with him because none of his friends want to go. You agree to go on a Saturday morning. --Analysis: "None of his friends want to go" hahaha, that is kinda sad, but hey a lot of us have said that before. If you're into him, he will know as soon as you ask "is this a date?"

What!? He will know as soon as you ask? Yes. Well he will at least know that it crossed your mind. Let's say you're not into him, and you ask just because you don't want to get his hopes up. It crossed your mind, and he will know. But let's say that he is not into you and you're not into him (in that way), and you still ask. You just made it awkward. Good job.

It wasn't the intention of either of you, and now you brought up a topic that you both don't really want to talk about. If you do, things start closing down because you may begin to set certain limits, or maybe make them too broad to handle properly, such as "now we can go watch movies alone at my house and nothing will happen!" <==umm.. yeah, don't say that to prove that you're just friends.

Have you ever asked that before? What happened?