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[[quoteright:287:[[Film/Superstar1999 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kissing_warm_up_1177.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:287:She's almost ready for the real thing.]]

The Kissing Warm-Up is when a character practices their smooching skills alone. It mostly occurs with young characters who have not had their FirstKiss. It may involve kissing your hand, the mirror, [[UsefulNotes/FurryFandom a stuffed animal]], [[InterspeciesRomance a live]] [[BestialityIsDepraved animal]], or anything handy.

Frequently occurs in anticipation of a [[SpinTheBottle make-out party]]. Can turn into CringeComedy if another character [[CaughtWithYourPantsDown catches them in the act]].

If the kissing warm up is with a living person, it's a PracticeKiss. If the kiss is with a live animal who is [[TalkingAnimal sapient]], you may be looking for InterspeciesRomance.

Compare TestKiss. Not to be confused with IKissYourHand. See also AnticipatoryBreathSpray and AnticipatoryLipstick.

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!!Examples

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[[folder:Film]]
* In ''Film/EighthGrade'', Kayla's dad enters her bedroom unexpectedly as she is kissing her hand while watching social media videos of her crush, Aidan, and listening to ''Orinoco Flow'' by Music/{{Enya}}, causing her to panic and throw her phone across the room, breaking its screen. Because Kayla is such a PhoneaholicTeenager the audience is then reminded of the incident through the rest of the film by the constant view of the broken phone screen.
* In ''Film/Superstar1999'', Mary Katherine Gallagher makes out with two inanimate objects. In chronological order:
** A tree trunk.
** The pole of a stop sign.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* This is a minor plot point in ''Literature/{{Maoyu}}'', as the very detailed body pillow of the Hero owned by [[spoiler:the Demon King shows that she knew what he looked like ''way'' before they met in person]]. It helps that he finds out through a misfired PensieveFlashback.
* In ''Literature/NoughtsAndCrosses'', when Callum and Sephy are having their FirstKiss, Sephy's internal monologue mentions that she has practised kissing with her pillow.
* In ''Literature/{{Xanth}}'''s ''Castle Roogna'', Irene surprises Dor with a kiss at the end of the book. She mentions that it was better than the first time because she'd been practicing on a life-size doll of hers. However, she doesn't know that he was having an out-of-body adventure at the time and didn't experience the first kiss.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* In a ''Series/{{Burnistoun}}'' sketch, Johnny Wee Tollen's Boy taunts The Doberman by saying he's never kissed anyone. When the Doberman insists otherwise, Johnny Wee Tollen's Boy demands he prove it by making out with his hand.
* ''Series/DoogieHowserMD'': Vinnie shows a 12-year-old female patient (who has a crush on Doogie) how to practice kissing by locking lips onto a window.
* ''Series/FamilyFeud'': once a family of women had to come up with answers for what one would practice their kissing on. They kept answering correct answer which surprised Creator/SteveHarvey.
* [[SuperSpeed Bree]] from ''Series/LabRats'' is called out for practicing kissing the wall. Justified, however, because [[TykeBomb none of the kids have had much human contact]] [[FishOutOfWater and are really bad at social interaction]].
* In ''Series/MySoCalledLife'', Danielle catches Angela kissing a mirror.
* Referenced in the ''Series/RedDwarf'' episode "[[Recap/RedDwarfSeasonIConfidenceAndParanoia Confidence and Paranoia]]" when Paranoia starts dredging up Lister's embarrassing adolescent memories.
* JD of ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' practices kissing with his stuffed dog.
* Justin goes through a whole kissing montage in one episode of ''Series/WizardsOfWaverlyPlace''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Theatre]]
* In the aptly titled play "How to Kiss a Girl", the main character is advised to practice on his hand. Naturally, his mom walks in.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* ''Webcomic/EverydayAbnormal'' [[http://everydayabnormal.webcomic.ws/comics/294 #294]]: [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial Asuka wasn't kissing her hand]]. That would be weird. She wasn't [[BlatantLies thinking about a boy]]. And he [[DiggingYourselfDeeper definitely wasn't British]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* Referenced in the ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' episode "[[Recap/AdventureTimeS1E5TheEnchiridion The Enchiridion!]]". Finn opens the titular book to examine it and finds a page titled "Chapter 5: How to Kiss Princesses". [[FreezeFrameBonus Pausing the scene quickly]] reveals that the author recommends practicing on a Lip Monster beforehand.
* Doug of... well, ''WesternAnimation/{{Doug}}'' practices kissing on a balloon.
* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': Mabel attempts this in "[[Recap/GravityFallsS1E1TouristTrapped Tourist Trapped]]" with a photo of Norman and a leaf blower set to reverse. [[GoneHorriblyWrong Naturally, it gets stuck to her face]].
* ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' gives us the creepy yet hilarious kiss between Helga and her Arnold StalkerShrine -- made completely out of wads of his used gum.
* ''WesternAnimation/InfinityTrain'': While asking MT, a reflection who gained independence, about the details of her world, Jesse asks if somebody [[IHaveThisFriend (not him)]] were to practice kissing in a mirror [[RunningGag (not him)]] if their reflection would see it [[RuleOfThree (again, not him)]]. The answer is yes.
* In ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'', Bobby practices kissing on Luanne's hairdresser dummy.
* ''WesternAnimation/PepperAnn'' gets ready for her first unsupervised party by warming up on her hand, a watermelon, and a pillow.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo'', [[PointyHairedBoss Robin]] has the others practice kissing their hands in preparation for New Year's Eve. [[EveryoneCanSeeIt He draws Starfire's likeness on his own hand]].
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBros'', Dean practices by kissing his hand. When he later describes it as "practicing being a boyfriend", it's [[MistakenForMasturbating not taken the right way]].
[[/folder]]
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