h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

El, as promised!

A definition of a hug for you ... looked through various ones and this seemed to be the best!

"Hug: To clasp or hold closely, especially in the arms, as in affection; embrace"

Probably ought to differentiate between a and a

"Cuddle: To fondle in the arms; hug tenderly"

Not that I can really see any difference! More to follow ...

Yay!-->That's just an ugly smiley!
Thanks. I should really get going on this again...

I agree ... the smiley isn't very good ...

Done this for you hun ... obviously chop and change as you will! I've got nothing better to do at w**k!

"Hug: To clasp or hold closely, especially in the arms, as in affection; embrace"

A hug is, first of all, a form of non-verbal communication.

It brings people together in a feeling of mutual love, comfort and safety. Research has shown that any person needs physical contact to survive, especially infants, who need it the most.

Hugging is an act of giving and receiving love, and support, both moral and physical. There are many kinds of hugs, and this entry will try to number the most common types, with reference to their benefits and instructions on how to do them.

Basics:
Hugs can be given and received by two or more people. They can be done lying down, sitting or standing up, or in any combination of the three. They can be given from the back, the sides or the front and can be short, long, or any length of time in between.

The greatness of a good hug is that it requires very little energy, doesn't pollute the environment, costs nothing, is silent, doesn't hurt in any way and still leaves you happy, content, and usually ready for more. You can be addicted to it without hurting yourself or others in any way. They can of course induce jealousy from people not being hugged and can be quite contagious.

Unless otherwise stated, the generally accepted hugging posture is in the standing position and involves the hugees arranging their upper appendages (arms) in a diagonal formation - one arm goes high, the other goes low - one arm over the receivers shoulder, the other around their waist. It is generally acknowledged that the right arm goes high and the left, low. Contravening this rule can lead to an embarrassing semaphoric dance in which both hugees are apparently pretending to be wind-mills. Visual contact should be made prior to the hug being undertaken and in this glance will be carried the information relating to the duration of the ensuing hug.

Types of Hug:
There are many different types of hug that can be used in a plethora of situations. Below is a list of the different types, and instructions on how to carry them out.

The "Hello" Hug (Please Note: This hug is gender specific and differs between men and women)
This is the kind of hug you would employ when greeting a friend. Used on a day to day basis this would lose its poignancy so this is generally reserved for times when its been a long time since you last saw the said person.
Male-2-Female: The hug is undertaken in the standard format and can include a peck (small kiss) on the cheek. It is a friendly hug and one that speaks volumes about the relationship between the hugees.
Female-2-female: Again, this follows the standard format and is no different from the M-2-F hug.
Male-2-Male: This is a hug that speaks reams about the relationship between the men in question. Men only really hug their bestest friends and ones that they have not seen for some time. It differs in a multitude of ways from the standard, one of the most obvious being the brevity of it (it is rare for this to be a lengthy hug) and also in the fact that it usually involves a great deal of mutual patting on the back. This has been scientifically proven to denote to bystanders and onlookers that although a hug is being undertaken, the hugees are actually hitting each other in a manly way. Male-2-Male hugs without hitting are frowned upon in certain circles."

Tell me what you think and I'll see if I can't do some more ... asking the community wouldn't be a bad idea ...

... yep, still works!

... yes, I know I stole your bit, but it couldn't be put any better so why change it ...

First of all- THANKS!! You are so sweet to help me like that!
And I'm just working on it, copying and pasting your deffinitions... I'll tell you again when I'm done.

See if you want any changes done- I didn't get to the types part, yet, though I've been working on it at work today...
Let me know what you think. And I've added you to the researchers list.

El, just before I run away for the weekend ... for you (along with the standard blue flower )...

All done and dusted and ready for action - even made it GuideML - hope it works!! Hope you don't think I'm stealing your thunder 'cos I'm not and anyway you can do with it what you will!

Have a fabberly doodle weekend ... ... if I think of any more possibilities I'll let you know ...



Hug - To clasp or hold closely, especially in the arms, as in affection; embrace

A hug is, first of all, a form of non-verbal communication.

It brings people together in a feeling of mutual love, comfort and safety. Research has shown that any person needs physical contact to survive, especially infants, who need it the most.

Hugging is an act of giving and receiving love, and support, both moral and physical. There are many kinds of hugs, and this entry will try to number the most common types, with reference to their benefits and instructions on how to do them.

Basics
Hugs can be given and received by two or more people. They can be done lying down, sitting or standing up, or in any combination of the three. They can be given from the back, the sides or the front and can be short, long, or any length of time in between.

The greatness of a good hug is that it requires very little energy, doesn't pollute the environment, costs nothing, is silent, doesn't hurt in any way and still leaves you happy, content, and usually ready for more. You can be addicted to it without hurting yourself or others in any way. They can of course induce jealousy from people not being hugged and can be quite contagious.

Unless otherwise stated, the generally accepted hugging posture is in the standing position and involves the huggers extending their arms straight out from their bodies. The taller hugger goes high while the shorter hugger goes low and thus embrace begins. In the event of both huggers being the same height, the decision as to who goes high and who goes low is decided by the instigator. He/she will invariably have the upper ground. Visual contact should be made prior to the hug being undertaken and in this glance will be carried the information relating to the duration of the ensuing hug.

Types of Hug
There are many different types of hug that can be used in a plethora of situations. Below is a list of the different types, and instructions on how to carry them out.

The "Hello" Hug - (Please Note: This hug is gender specific and differs between men and women)
This is the kind of hug you would employ when greeting a friend. Used on a day to day basis this would lose itspoignancy so this is generally reserved for times when its been a long time since you last saw the said person.
Male-2-Female - The hug is undertaken in the standard format and can include a peck (small kiss) on the cheek. It is a friendly hug and one that speaks volumes about the relationship between the hugees.
Female-2-female - Again, this follows the standard format and is no different from the M-2-F hug.
Male-2-Male - This is a hug that speaks reams about the relationship between the men in question. Men only really hug their bestest friends and ones that they have not seen for some time. It differs in a multitude of ways from the standard, one of the most obvious being the brevity of it (it is rare for this to be a lengthy hug) and also in the fact that it usually involves a great deal of mutual patting on the back. This has been scientifically proven to denote to bystanders and onlookers that although a hug is being undertaken, the hugees are actually hitting each other in a manly way. Male-2-Male hugs without hitting are frowned upon in certain circles.
In order to effect a high-quality, non-dominant male-2-male hug, the diagonal formation is usually taken. Extending their upper arms - one arm high, the other low - the hug is carried out with one arm over the receivers' shoulder, the other around their waist. It is generally acknowledged that the right arm goes high and the left, low. Contravening this rule can lead to an embarrassing semaphoric dance in which both huggers are apparently pretending to be wind-mills or perhaps giving the odds on the favourite at Ascot.


The "Comforter"
This is the hug used to comfort someone close to you. In times of need nothing beats a good "Comforter".
It follows the standard format but is distinctive due to both its intensity and duration. Nothing gets feeling <SMILEY TYPE="blue"/> out of the system better than a long, hard hug. In the event of tears, this is possibly the best hug with which to console. The hugee (the one for whom the hug has been instigated) can bury their face in the bosom of the hugger and hide themselves from the worlds prying eyes.
This is the kind of hug that is much used by parents. It's not called the comforter for nothing, and is at its prime when the hugee is feeling vulnerable.
It is important to note that a hug is a mutual thing and both parties benefit: the hugee from having a shoulder to cry/lean on and the hugger in knowing that the hugee turned to them.

The Reverse Hug
The reverse hug is the one that contains the most affection - at least, that's to say the most affection you can show without removing any articles of clothing. The hugee is usually oblivious to the fact that they are about to be hugged and there is no doubt that the element of surprise is a major factor in its efficacy.
This hug uses half of the standard hug. The Hugger approaches the hugee from behind and passes his/her hands around the hugees waist. The hugee upon receipt of the hugger can then do as they please. They can clasp the huggers hands or perhaps even exact a behind the back hug on the hugger.
Whatever the agreed position, there is little doubt that the two huggers are very close.

The Seated Hug
There are many variations of the seated hug which vary from the friendly to the intimate to the beyond intimate, I've tried to list as many as possible but if anyone feels more should be added just shout:
Just Good Friends - You know the one. You're sitting on the sofa, a friend rocks up and you put your arm around them ... OK it's not the height of passion but it shows that you care.
Obviously this can be misconstrued and often quite rightly. An innocuous arm on the shoulder often means (and sometimes leads to) greater things
The Twister - Not the most comfortable of hugs, and therefore often characterised by its brevity. Both parties twist towards one another and embrace. Sadly the spine isn't designed for such activities so they are often unsustained. Very pleasant all the same.
The Seated Reverse Hug - This is essentially the same as the Reverse hug but is carried out in a seated position and it is more common for the hugee to act as the initiator.
The "Ohmygodyes" Hug - This is possibly the most intimate of all hugs and for that reason is generally not carried out in public, largely due to the fact that both parties are generally in a state of undress.
It is a variant of the standard hug but is carried out in the seated position and often after dark in the confines of the bedroom. This is a family site so we won't go into any more detail but put it this way: you wouldn't want your mum to see you hugging anyone like this ... <SMILEY TYPE="winkeye"/>


The Lying Down Hug
Like the Seated Hug, there are a multitude of hugs that can be carried out in the lying down position. Needless to say, the majority are amongst the more intimate hugs mentioned. The two main varities however are the Standard and the Reverse.
In a lying down position however, limbs have a tendency to get squashed so it is worthwhile to point out, that both parties should be flexible and should either hugger wish to withdraw a limb then the other party should be lenient. It doesn't mean that they don't love you, it's just they're quite attached to their hand as well.

The Dancefloor Hug
As the name suggests, this is a hug often undertaken whilst dancing - the woman puts her arms around the man's neck, and the man holds the woman's waist. This is again an intimate hug and should not be used without prior consultation.

Conclusion
So there it is. The Hug. Officially the most fun you can have with your clothes on, and even more fun still with them off ...
Spread the good news far and wide, and make someone's day. Hug someone, anyone, you know you want to!<SMILEY TYPE="hug"/>

I did what I wanted with it, and look at it now!
I like it as it is. I think we should send it to PR, coz, as my wise bf said- in Ask The Community, they'll prob'ly give us ideas that are already there, or just some nonsense comments.
I think it's a real good team work as it is now, and if I thought you were stealing my thunder, I wouldn't have added you to the researchers list, would I?

Just give me your final approval- and off to PR with it!

Do you think we should link to this one? http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A4889

... seems like we've struck a chord of universal approval!

El, here's the reference I said I'd send ...

"The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition" ... if you need more detail let me know!

Do you think a Cuddle definition's necessary? Is there a difference?
We did, didn't we? Do you reckon it's a 50-50 job? half mine, half yours?

I looked up cuddle and they're much the same, according to the dictionary. A cuddle sounds more ing for some reason so we could always put in a definition but say that they're pretty much the same ... what d'you reackon?

As for who should take the credit, it was definitely a 50-50 job but you were the one who had the idea in the first place ...

But you've inspired me.
We won't be able to finish that argument, ever, so let's just say 50-50.
Do you want to write about cuddles? Over here it's the same word for all kindsa hugs, so I don't really get the diff... Maybe after your explanation- I will...

... If we both just agree that we're the best, will that do?

As for cuddles - they're the same over here but I think it might be good just to refer to them ... there isn't really any difference but we wouldn't want anyone to complain!

Ok, ok... We are the best...

YAY!! So write your piece about them and I'll add it.

Here you go ... done and dusted ... thought that the best place for it would be at the end just before the Conclusion ... obviously change it as you wish! The definition came from the same source as the last one - do you think we could get away with having the reference listed as a footnote?



Variations on a Theme
Cuddle - To fondle in the arms; hug tenderly

As the definition says, a cuddle is effectively, a tender hug but seeing as a hug can be as tender as a cuddle, it would be splitting hairs to try and differentiate.
As a rule of thumb a cuddle is often partaken between children and adults, or lovers. In much the same way that skipping is the exclusive past time of small girls and boxers, there doesn't seem to be much middle ground.
A cuddle is generally of the "comforter" stock and can be undertaken in any of the accepted positions - standing, seated or lying down.

There- it's done!

El, last bit in light of Galaxy Babes suggestion ... The Cyber Hug (I guess seeing as this is what started the whole thing off it would be rude not to include it ... )

Thought it would fir best after the "Dancefloor" hug ... what d'you reckon?

... time to go home ... a demain?


The Cyber Hug

As hugs go, the Cyber Hug is something of an anomaly in so much as it is the only hug in which bodily contact is not required. In fact, in the majority of cases bodily contact is nigh on impossible due to the distances between hugger and huggee.
Hugger and huggee still assume the same roles and the benefits are often equally great even if they are only virtual. In spite of the lack of contact, a cyber hug still conveys care and/or concern to all those who bear witness to it and should be taken in as much sanctity as any of its real life brethren.

It's added...