NSA fun

Meaning

What does NSA fun mean?

The NSA in NSA fun is an acronym for “No Strings Attached”, so when someone is looking for some “NSA fun” they are basically looking for either just a one night stand or a fuckfriend.

It is often used on dating sites or in online personal ads to let the potential partner know that they are not looking for anything serious.

“NSA fun” has nothing to do with the NSA – National Security Agency.

If you want to just have fun with no obligations, no excessive talking and effort, no mind games or feelings, you add these three letters to your dating profile and people will know what you are looking for.

Origin

What's the origin of NSA fun?

“No Strings Attached” started out as a metaphor for having no one to control you – no one to “pull the strings”, because there are none. There are no strings attached because you are not a muppet that someone can play with or restraint, you are completely free.

The idiom can be traced back all the way to the 18th century, and it was used by fabric makers. They would leave a string in any place where the fabric had a flaw. If a tailor needed a piece of flawless febric, he would request one “with no strings attached”.

Spread & Usage

How did NSA fun spread?

The acronym can often be seen on dating sites such as BeNaughty or Zoosk, mainly used by people who don’t seek serious relationships.

Some have even taken it a step further and created strictly NSA dating sites, for example nsarelationship.org or nsa-fun.com. Here, partners seek out each other without expecting any further contact.

The idiom was made particularly popular by the 2011 film “No Strings Attached”, starring Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher. Their characters indulge in a “NSA fun” relationship before slowly catching feelings and ending up in a romantic relationship.

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External resources

  • Urban Dictionary – NSA

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