posted
A couple of times, while I was out this weekend, I observed people in their early 20s engaging in a fairly involved handshake--quite a few convoluted hand flutterings were involved, and at the end of it both people simultaneously snapped their fingers using that hand they had just been shaking with. All of the people I saw doing this (only three pairs, admittedly) had very self satisfied, smug looks on their faces as they did this.
So...is this snappy handshake just a SW Ohio thing?
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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posted
This is something that has always frustrated me. Often, when I meet people for the first time, they try to do some sort of involved handshake with me and I have no idea what I should be doing. So, before even talking to the person I feel embarrassed because I don't know what I should be doing and that always sets things off on the wrong pace.
Posts: 291 | Registered: Jun 2002
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posted
I live in the San Francisco Bay area and was out enjoying a nice glass of wine and relaxing with a new book a couple of weeks ago.
A gentleman approached me and shook my hand. He then proceeded to extend the handshake with a number of odd convulutions that vaguely resembled those you describe above.
I did not recall having previously met said gentleman, but assumed that I had done so and simply forgotten him (I was having this glass of wine at a place which I frequently visit).
He simply would not end the handshake. I could not get loose. Then he put his hand on my chest and gave me a gentle stroke and at that point I insisted (still remaining polite) that he let go of my hand and leave me alone. At the request of the owner of the establishment, he soon left.
Later another gentleman of my acquaintance confessed to having been groped by him.
posted
Every group of friends I have (about four or so) has a different handshake greeting.
One has the hand slap (approach like a regular shake, but instead of a shake you just slap hands). One has arm wrestle handshake (named for the way your hands and arms look when you shake) which is frequently combined with a chest bump/backslap. One gives daps (or a pound, if you prefer). Then the final just does the regular old school handshake.
It's interesting to watch people who are new to the group try to react. They reach out a hand, then pretty much let the other guy drive the whole experience. You know, your hand is just staying still while the other guy's performing all kinds of wacky handshake moves.
Posts: 5462 | Registered: Apr 2005
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posted
Bronn. Man, that is too funny--I'm still laughing at it.
JT, that's about what I'd do, if someone started in with a convoluted handshake with me. Well, that and look at them with a bemused smile and a raised eyebrow as they were going about their business. I'd probably take a reflexive step back if they tried the chest bumping thing with me though.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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posted
Yeah, but since my friends are all twenty something testosterone charged meatheads they love the chest bump.
It was worse in college (because all my friends were athletes), they got in the habit of slapping each other in the face when we were out drinking.
Kind of a "Hey, pay attention!" slap in the face if someone wasn't looking at you. I wasn't a big fan of that.
Posts: 5462 | Registered: Apr 2005
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posted
No. Just our group of guys. There were guys I played with who were worse. They liked to headbutt.
We were a rowdy bunch. My thought is that it was a side effect of living in a town with no girls. No one to impress, so every night was guys night out.
Posts: 5462 | Registered: Apr 2005
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quote:My thought is that it was a side effect of living in a town with no girls.
That seems plausible--not having women around would definitely skew behavior in odd ways. How is it that you were in a town without women?
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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Ummm, it's not that there weren't any women, just none that were datable. It was a small engineering college, so it was about 2:1 guys/girls. And the girls that were there were, for the most part, more interested in taking things apart than in us (which was fine by me).
The few girls I hung out with were all tomboyish and really cool. This had the unfortunate side affect of making all Louisiana girls seem spoiled and superficial by comparison.
Disclaimer - I speak in generalities. Doubtless some or all of you will take issue with the way I've worded things above. It's just my opinion, and is not to be taken literally as it's highly subjective. Anytime I say some, all, or none you can safely assume I don't literally mean some, all, or none. I just say it that way to simplify things.
[ October 24, 2005, 02:45 PM: Message edited by: El JT de Spang ]
Posts: 5462 | Registered: Apr 2005
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quote:Did you honestly think there was a town somewhere completely devoid of females?
It seemed pretty unlikely, which was why I asked.
quote:And the girls that were there were, for the most part, more interested in taking things apart than in us
That's better than their being more interested in taking you apart than things, certainly. But they were somewhat interested in taking you guys apart? Man, what kind of creepy school did you go to?
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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posted
I've been friends with so many different kinds of people and seen so many different handshakes it's not even funny. It really does depend on your group of friends. I've had friends who liked to do some very involved handshakes and sometimes I even got to see the creation of these new "cool" handshakes. No purpose or meaning behind it, the guys just liked to make them more complicated and therefore cooler somehow.
Personally I'm more fond of the regular handshake. I also don't mind the "buddy handshake" as I call it, where it's sort of like a handshake and a hug/pat on the back combined into one. Reserved for closer friends though, I'd say.
Some groups of friends don't even shake hands. Some of my friends don't, some of my friends do. You get used to it eventually Posts: 459 | Registered: Mar 2005
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Bronn. Man, that is too funny--I'm still laughing at it.![[Wink]](wink.gif)
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