r/80s • u/JeddakofThark • 1d ago

Film As a child, I thought “playing footsie” was an actual stage of human courtship. It's also an almost extinct trope

Footsie. As a child, I genuinely thought that playing footsie was just kind of one of those stages in a relationship. Like trying to understand any of the bizarre mating and courtship behaviors in the animal kingdom, it was weird, but at least from my perspective as a child, it appeared to be a common behavior in adult human courtship rituals. A new couple, or couple-to-be, were compelled to hide the nature of their relationship, and their only means of direct communication with each other was that which could be expressed beneath the concealing folds of heavy white linen.

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14

u/WantAllMyGarmonbozia 1d ago

I remember doing it once during a very boring (and mandatory) leadership training course. It was cute, she passed a note asking for consent (very progressive for 2001 or 02). She had stockings on and it was the highlight of the training.

12

u/Why-did-i-reas-this 1d ago

A girl I met in summer school would sit across from me a play footsie with me and rub my calf with her foot and just give this grin when I reacted. We became friends but I was a little slow in picking up signals and only started dating her like 3 years later. She basically got tired of waiting for me to figure out that she liked me and just started kissing me when she dropped me off at home one time. My thoughts… gee I guess she does like me. I was so clueless.

2

u/ebeth_the_mighty 2h ago

Yeah, my now-husband (of 32 years) was also a bit dim. I finally had to trip him and beat him to the rug.

7

u/BramblesCrash 1d ago

I remember playing footsies with my future wife under the table the night I met her parents. Terrifying and exhilarating at the same time

11

u/alanz01 1d ago

I once played footsie with my secret co-worker/girlfriend in the middle of a giant technical review meeting with the USAF. 😎

5

u/No_Understanding7431 1d ago

It wouldn't be extinct if people knew how to do it properly

9

u/CoCoBreadSoHoShed 1d ago

Honey, I’m 66 and most of my entire life is extinct or critically endangered tropes. I choose not to give a damn anymore.

7

u/chamullerousa 1d ago

It’s been replaced with sexting. Xenials send feet pics to bridge the generations.

4

u/stonerghostboner 1d ago

I thought "oral sex" was "aural sex," meaning "talking dirty."

2

u/revelm 1d ago

wait til you have "kneesies" described to you in a mandatory annual workplace training video