Kissin' Cousins Site

: In Regency romance or Southern gothic literature, cousin relationships often highlight the pressures of family loyalty and heritage.

: Since the 1930s, dictionaries have defined a "kissing cousin" as a relative known well enough to be greeted with a formal kiss, such as a peck on the cheek.

: Shows like 30 Rock and The Nanny have utilized the "accidentally dating a cousin" plotline to create humorous social friction. Kissin' Cousins

: Elvis Presley famously starred in the 1964 musical film Kissin' Cousins , where the title track lightheartedly suggests that a "distant cousin" is fair game for romance.

: Outside the Western world, cousin marriage remains a preferred practice in many societies in the Middle East, South Asia, and North Africa. Genetic Considerations: Myth vs. Reality : In Regency romance or Southern gothic literature,

: Throughout much of human history, marrying cousins was common to preserve wealth, maintain social status, or secure political alliances. An estimated 80% of all historical marriages were between first or second cousins.

: In the 19th-century U.S., a shift began as medical and religious authorities began associating cousin marriage with "idiocy" and genetic defects. This led to many states enacting bans that remain today; 30 states currently prohibit first-cousin marriage. : Elvis Presley famously starred in the 1964

: It is often used to describe two separate things that share a close similarity or common origin, such as "politics and show business" or different types of fabrics.