A tongue kiss, french kiss, snog or pash is a romantic or sexual kiss in which one participant's tongue touches the other's tongue (or lips), and usually enters their mouth. Also known as a French Kiss, or Deep Kiss.

While family members may sometimes kiss on the lips, a tongue kiss almost always indicates a romantic or sexual relationship. French kissing stimulates the lips, tongue and mouth, which are all areas very sensitive to touch. It is considered by many to be both very pleasurable and highly intimate. Unlike other forms of "casual" kissing (such as brief kisses of greeting or friendship), episodes of French kissing will often be prolonged, intense, and passionate. It may signal the beginning of a period of "making out" or sex. Because of the intimacy associated with it, in many regions of the world tongue kissing in public is not acceptable to most, particularly in the case of extended duration. See: public display of affection.

In a tongue kiss participants may exchange saliva, which would often be considered disgusting in other contexts, but which may add to the passion and excitement of the sexual kiss. Although most sexually-transmitted diseases are not transmitted by kissing, the exchange of saliva in a French kiss may increase the chances of catching an orally transmitted disease. Infectious Mononucleosis (American: Mononucleosis or, colloquially, "mono"; European: Glandular Fever), a disease spread through saliva, is often colloquially referred to as "the kissing disease."

French kissing is commonly used in movies to show willing sex between lovers. It is often used by lovers to express their intimate feeling toward each other and more often precedes sex (and frequently continues during sex).

It is known colloquially as tongue wrestling, tonsil tennis, tonsil hockey and, in Ireland, and parts of the United Kingdom, snogging or getting off. It is sometimes known as doing a Frankie in parts of Northern England. In many parts of Ireland, it is also referred to as "meeting" or "shifting" someone. It has also been known as "lata", "jamón" and "zampar" (as a verb) in Venezuela, it has many other names in Latin culture. In Italian, the act is known as "limonare", literaly "to lemon". In Quebecois French, it is known as "frencher".

French kissing has been traditionally associated with Western societies, but is now becoming quite popular around the world. The term has been attributed to the perception of more liberal views in France towards cunnilingus and oral sex in general (see soixante-neuf/sixty-nine), as the two acts are similar.

French kissing was humorously euphemized as "Freedom Kissing" in a parody of Freedom Fries during the period of poor relations between the United States and France just prior to the onset of the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Another, older name for 'French kissing' is cataglottis. (from cata, down, glottis throat).

Etymology

References in culture

• French Kiss is a 1995 movie starring Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline.
• Deep Kiss is a series of Japanese pornographic lesbian movies, dedicated entirely to French kissing.
• French Kiss is a francophone-language music video program block aired on Canadian music tv station MuchMusic.
• French Kiss is a 1979 Music Group that topped the Disco Charts with their hit single "Panic".
• French Kissing is a pop song by Debbie Harry.
• French Kiss is a house track by Lil Louis.
• FKiSS or French KiSS is an extension of the Kisekae Set System.

Oral eroticism | Sex moves

Zungenkuss | بوسه فرانسوی | Baiser amoureux | Prancūziškasis bučinys | Tongzoen