What makes a date a date? Options

[*mipadi*]

Maybe it's my relative lack of experience in the area of relationships, but there's a question that often nags at me: What makes a date a date? At first glance, this may seem like an easy answer; but it's one that seems to elude people I ask. Take, for example, these two different, yet similar, scenarios:

1. You notice a nice young member of the opposite sex with whom you go to school. You think it might be nice to take him/her out sometime—dinner, a movie, something along those lines. So you ask him/her to a movie. Is that a date or just a friendly outing, and why? How do you know? How do you make it clear one way or the other?
2. You are friends with a young member of the opposite sex. You hang out with each other on a semi-regular basis. You decide to ask him/her to a movie or dinner. Is that a date or just a friendly outing, and why? How do you know? How do you make it clear one way or the other?

[nightowl89]

^ but how do you know that the other person is thinking about it as a date then if you don't verbalize it? im totally in this dillema right now but its too weird to ask him before whether he thinks its a date or not...im gonna just see what it feels like? I hate walking on fences

to make this less spammy, I think it is better to verbalize it. maybe saying it lightly in a flirty way would be good? In a romantic momnet, just say "hey...isn't this like a date?" If the other person laughs (genuinely) and says something like "yeah i guess so!" then good for you....if they freeze up and get a freaked out blank face...welllll.