reach first base

reach first base

1. Literally, in baseball, to successfully advance to the first base of the diamond. He's a power hitter—better let him reach first by walking him than risk giving away a home run.
2. To successfully move through some initial phase, development, or process. I have my doubts that this proposal will having any chance of reaching first base in Congress, let alone making it all the way to the president's desk for approval.
3. slang To kiss a romantic partner or potential romantic partner, especially for the first time. I don't want to rush things between us. For now, I'm just happy to have reached first base. A: "Did you reach first base with Dave last night?" B: "A lady doesn't kiss and tell!"
See also: base, first, reach
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

reach first base

(with someone or something) Go to get to first base (with someone or something).
See also: base, first, reach
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • have (the) first crack at (something)
  • knock something together
  • knock together
  • first crack at
  • base on balls
  • first of all
  • for a start
  • first in, best dressed
  • first off
  • first off/up
References in periodicals archive
This early, however, that proposal may not even reach first base because, according to Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia, President Duterte is averse to land reclamation.
The two collide and Posey manages to get around Hosmer and reach first base. The umpires correctly call Posey out for interference because Hosmer had the right of way to the ball since the ball was within his reach and Posey was still responsible to avoid him.
Scouts agree that speed is Zach Davis' top tool, but the Chicago Cubs wanted him to reach first base even faster.
The first oddity - a third strike that bounced and stuck in the middle of the chest protector of Gold Glove catcher Yadier Molina - enabled pinch-hitter Matt Szczur to reach first base to start the seventh inning.
A common trivia question among baseball fans is, "How many ways are there for a batter to reach first base?" According to Question 5 in the individual primary round of the trivia contest at the 2009 SABR 39 National Convention in Washington DC, there are eight different ways.
The lie here is that the Western media promoted the "evidence" as being unquestionably true, when the story doesn't reach first base when it comes to evidence-based journalism.
The modem for my office internet had been delayed over Christmas, and without any internet access Effective Communication was not even going to reach first base.
If they reach first base and put the flag up, that means they may steal and pitchers can try to pick them off.
William Winokur, it focuses on pitcher Angel Macias who, so far, has thrown the only perfect game in Little League championship history (a "perfect game" is when no hitter is allowed to reach first base.) The same team won again in 1958.
Consider that in baseball there are exactly eight ways for a batter to reach first base: a batter can get a hit, take a walk, or get hit by a pitch.
But James could see, and later was to calculate, that the most important thing a batter could do was simply reach first base by drawing a walk.
However, Mr Hemming's grand plan to re-run the AGM in September, with all positions being up for grabs on a Single Trans-ferrable Vote (STV) basis, probably won't reach first base for a number of reasons.
Baseball players can reach first base in a variety of ways: Single, base on balls, passed ball on a third strike, hit by pitcher, catcher interference, and error.
They need another 362 runs to reach first base. But Marcus Trescothick's blazing, unbeaten half-century gave England a glimmer of hope towards sunset.
Braves hurler Kevin Millwood, desperate to keep New York's first two hitters Chuck Knoblauch and Derek Jeter off base - it is Atlanta's biggest mission against New York in this series - let them reach first base with singles to start the game.