It's precisely the latter category that nine couples have been indulging in in New York as they set out to break the world record for the longest kiss.

Swaying to music and rubbing each other's backs, each pair was vying to win the top prize, a week-long trip to Paris.

Stephanie Necaise of Denton, Texas, wore platform shoes to avoid straining her neck to kiss her husband Scott, while Nicole Connor of Mesa, Arizona, wore earphones to listen to music as she kissed Larry Jones.

Under the rules, the couples' lips have to touch constantly, they have to remain standing and no breaks are allowed.

Call of nature

The contest began around 0800 (EST) 1300 (GMT) on Wednesday. By mid-evening, six couples remained. Two couples gave up early, in less than two hours, with one contestant complaining of stomach pains and another yielding to nature's call to the bathroom.

Contest officials said the couple from Charlotte, North Carolina, dropped out after 11 hours and 30 minutes and that the contest would continue through the night, with no plans to end or suspend the kissathon.

Jones said he hoped to go for 30 hours. "Our strategy is basically to try to concentrate and meditate and just try to block everything else out," he said before the contest began.

"Our strategy is to keep kissing," said John Sciarrino of Philadelphia, who entered the contest with his wife, Lisa.

The winners will be submitted to the Guinness Book of World Records, which does not have an entry for the longest kiss.

Gobsmacked

People passing by the contest venue in New York were intrigued. "Get a room", shouted one unimpressed man. Sonia Cole was more sympathetic. "Just imagine how their mouths feel," she said.

"I'm more interested in whether they can kiss each other afterward, and what kind of fights they have, like 'You didn't do it right,'" observed Judith Haynes, as she stopped to watch while walking her dog.

One couple decided to try to set their own record outside on the sidewalk - only to give up after two minutes.

"She kept laughing," Rick Fenoglio said of his wife, Anissa.