The question at hand is what qualifies as a date? According to Webster’s dictionary (www.merriam-webster.com), a date is an appointment to meet at a specified time; especially a social engagement between two persons that often has a romantic character. Webster also defines a date as a person with whom one has a usually romantic date. That’s odd; I was always told that you do not define a word using the word. If you search the web further, defining a date becomes a little more difficult. There is lots of talk about hanging out vs. a date. Is there a difference? If so, what is the difference? How does one know if they are hanging out of dating?

For the purpose of this experiment, a date is a scheduled outing during which time I meet a new person. This can include, but will not be limited to, meeting for coffee, lunch, dinner, a sporting event, drinks, dessert; any place where a decent conversation can be had to determine if there will be any hanging out.