GIRLS NEED TO JUST APPROACH GUYS... all problems solved?

well most people who meet someone they're incredibly attracted to just have rampant sex continuously because that's what humans do.

But for the sake of argument, lets pretend you're not into that, then you must have something else in common for you to be interested in this person. So just do that. angling, stamp collecting, s&M,whatever.

What the ****.
So are you saying if I am interested in a person to do an activity with them that we both have in common for example fishing?

...Pretty sure that's what a date is. An activity or meeting with a person you are interested in.

So when I play squash with my mate Bob we're on a date? **** me I never suspected I was gay, but now I know.

Is there a reason you're being so passive aggressive to me over something so damn stupid?

And I clearly said "with someone you are interested in" which was obvious meant in a romantic way.

I'm not being passive aggressive at all, I'm being extremely friendly and courteous.

I don't know anyone who goes on dates anymore. Its so incredibly formal and awkward. I don't think anyone has since the 1960s

I know plenty of people who go on dates, although they may not be asked " would you like to go on a jolly spiffing date?" it's usually along the lines of "would you like to get a drink with me?" or something like that. But it's still a date.

No its not. A drink is a drink, a date is a date. I go for drinks with my mates, I do not go on dates. dates are explicitly romantic. drinks are not.

and when I met my missus, we went for drinks a few times. and no, they were definitely not dates. If someone had said "are you two on a date?", we would have both said "no".

For god sakes, if you invite or are invited to drinks by someone you are romantically interested in to drinks (no other person, only someone romantically interested in) it is a date, clearly not if you go with friends or family or someone you are already in a committed relationship with. Are you being purposely obtuse by continuously bringing up going out with your FRIENDS which you know full well is completely different but bring it up anyway likely to be as annoying as possible.

Well that's all very well and good for you and your missus, I would have said yes it is a date, if I thought it was a date or was told it was a date. I acknowledge though that not all relationships start within dating , 1 of mine didn't

now who is being aggressive, Sophie?

look, most relationships never go on explicit dates. Going for a drink with someone of the opposite sex is not automatically a date: sometimes drinks really are just drinks.

Most of the time you have no idea if you are romantically interested in someone and viceversa until afterwards, so it can't have been a date according to your definition.