The Handshake
A greeting, confirming agreement to a deal, saying “nice to have done business with you”. Well these are some of the positives. On the negative side, the great British handshake can create hesitancy, the embarrassment when you are not quite sure whether to offer your hand or not, and risk of being overly formal or too informal, especially with a member of the opposite sex. Should I, shouldn’t I, are they expecting it, would they prefer hug, slap on the back or just a plain old sideways rhetorical question – “Alright!”?
Well when you have read some of this stuff, you may not be so keen to venture such warmth to your trusty colleagues.
Its origins:-
Which of these men forgot to wash?
(courtesy of The US National Archives)
The most popular story is that an open right hand showed you were not carrying a weapon; if two men met and displayed empty right hands, this presumably meant a basic level of trust existed that neither would stab the other. In one variant of this story, the handshake evolved from an elbow-to-wrist “pat down” to check for hidden knives; in another, the shaking motion was supposed to dislodge any sharp objects that may have been kept in the sleeve. – Not concerned? Then read on!
An unknown but excessively high percentage of men routinely leave public restrooms without washing their hands. Thus, shaking hands is a relatively unsanitary gesture of greeting. Not that you should be hypersensitive about germs, but this small gesture can be very costly in the cross infection of countless bugs. -Not concerned? Then read on!
Sweaty palms? Excessive hand sweating can be quite severe affecting a patient’s everyday life both functionally and socially. In about 40% of the patients the problem is genetic. Some excessive cases have resulted in either people missing out on or even not going for promotion at work because they have this embarrassing condition.
Considering the wide range of alternatives, how did the handshake come to be the standard greeting in this society? And hygiene aside, how can we make sense of all its supposedly deep and symbolic meanings?
What Are the Alternatives?
What about the fist-bump?
(courtesy of clared23)
After all this, you may be relieved to know that there is a variation on the handshake. There is the wrist shake, and then there is the elbow shake.
The wrist shake: wait until the person is within shake range, extend the arm, but with the wrist bent back so they can take the wrist and shake it. This is apparently much practised by car mechanics and plumbers when their hands are dirty beyond the wrist. Not that I have ever experienced the local plumber or friendly car mechanic offering this kind of transferred and somewhat discreet communication.
The elbow shake: the procedure is similar, but with the elbow bent rather than the wrist. I have never seen a wrist to wrist shake, or an elbow to wrist shake.
Someone has to use their hands. The only alternative, if you are both excessively dirty, is to look at your hands then at the other person and give a rueful grin. Even then, however, often hands are wiped and some variation of handshake performed.
Perhaps a little kiss on the cheek is safer. You won’t get inadvertently stabbed, contract an incurable bout of dysentery; the most you should expect is probably a firm slap!