Fist bump
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The fist bump (also known as a "fist pound"[1]) is a type of gesture similar in meaning to a handshake, high five or nose rub. A bump also can be known as a symbol of giving of respect. Fist bumps can also be followed by various other hand and body gestures, and may be part of a dap greeting. It is commonly used in baseball as a form of celebration with team-mates and also with opposition players at the end of a game.
The gesture is performed when two participants each form a closed fist with one of their hands and then lightly tap the front of their fists together. The participants' fists may be either vertically-oriented (perpendicular to the ground) or horizontally-oriented. Unlike the standard handshake, which is typically performed only with each participants' right hand, a fist bump may be comfortably performed using the left hand of one participant and the right hand of another, which is convenient if one's right hand is holding an item or otherwise preoccupied. When a fist bump is initiated, it is considered rude to intentionally use too much strength when bumping one's fist against another's (to punch the other's fist) in an attempt to cause pain, similar to squeezing one's hand too hard during a standard handshake.
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[edit] History
Time magazine wonders if it evolved from the handshake and the high-five. They cite knuckle bumping in the 1970s with NBA player Baltimore Bullets guard Fred Carter. Others claim the Wonder Twins, minor characters in the 1970s Hanna-Barbera superhero cartoon Super Friends, who touched knuckles and cried "Wonder Twin powers, activate!" were the originators.[2] However, the "fist bump" or "pound" can easily be traced as far back as the late 1960s and early 1970s to urban black youth. [3]
| “ | "The Dap includes simple to very intricate series of rhythmic hand slaps, clasps, hand and arm gestures exchanged between two persons as a sign of personal greeting, respect and group solidarity. Has origin in greetings developed and practiced by members of Black Power organizations founded in southern California in the early 1970s and then became common place and outlawed practice among African-American draftees and soldiers stateside and abroad during the latter years of the Vietnam War." [3] | ” |
Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls may have helped popularize the fist bump in the early 1990s. Jordan started a ritual in which he would go to the announcer table before every game and cover his hands with the talcum powder (he would even clap his hands thus releasing a powdery mist on the announcers, something LeBron James would later emulate). Since his hands were now prepared to grip the ball properly he didn't want to shake hands with anyone to have that powder removed. Jordan extended his hand in a "Fist Bump" fashion to all the opponents on the court prior to the opening of the game, starting a new trend.[citation needed]
On 3 June 2008 Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama fist-bumped during a televised presidential campaign speech in St. Paul, Minnesota. Fox News host E.D. Hill, in a "tease" for an unrelated story, paraphrased an anonymous internet comment characterizing the gesture[4] as a "terrorist fist jab", and the gesture became known as "The Fist Bump heard 'Round the World".[5] A reporter on one local Fox affiliate also mistakenly called the gesture fisting.[6]
In light of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, the dean of medicine, Tomas Feasby, at the University of Calgary suggested that the fist bump may be a "nice replacement of the handshake" in an effort to prevent transmission of the virus.[7]
[edit] Variations
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- Air knucks: A popular variation of the "fist bump" is "air knucks". It's a "fist bump" variation of an Air five. If two people are too far away to "pound it" they will engage in "air knucks" instead.
- Corna combination: Another common variation is a combination with the corna; the participants extend their index finger and pinky finger, and bump crossed fists. This is commonly used in the (hard) rock and heavy metal subcultures.
- Pound loose: A new similar way known as "pound loose" happens when two people bump fists and upon retraction of the fist, both make a Shaka sign gesture in the horizontal position while wobbling the hand rapidly back and forth.
- Ice cream: The first person holds out a fist and the second person makes the "peace" sign with one hand and, while placing the vee under the first person's hand, yells "Ice cream cone!" The second person then places their other hand, in a fist, on top of thr first person's hand, yelling "double scoop!"
- Jellyfish: Both participants bump fists, then each pulls their hand away while wiggling all five fingers in a jellyfish-like way.
- Mickey Mouse: One participant sticks his/her fist out in the normal fashion. The second participant then puts both his hands closed to either side of the first participant, to make the ears of the mouse, yellin "mickey!"
- Moose: One participant sticks his/her fist out in the normal fashion. The second participant then puts both his hands open to either side of the first participant, to make the antlers of the moose, yelling "moose!"
- Explosion: Both participants bump fists, then each "explodes" their hand away (rapidly extending all five fingers while making explosion noises).
- TIE fighter: One participant sticks his/her fist out in the normal fashion. The second participant then puts his hands vertical to the first participant, to make the wings of the tie-fighter. The second participant then 'controls' the ship with their hands while making space craft noise
- Stick shift: One person sticks his hand out in the normal fist bump position. The second person then grabs their fist and puts their fist 'In gear', while shouting "Stick shift!"
- Snail: One person sticks his hand out in the normal fist bump position, the second person makes the "peace" sign with one hand, then slides that hand underneath the other person's fist pointing the fingers vertically and resting the fist on the back of the hand making the "peace" sign to form a snail.
- Beached Whale: One participant sticks his/her fist out in the normal fashion. The other person extends his fingers out making their hand flat and slides their flat hand under the other persons fist and yells "Beached Whale!"
[edit] Other instances
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Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (April 2009) |
- Matt Rogers, host of Discovery Channel's documentary series Really Big Things frequently uses the fist bump, at the end of many episodes of the documentary series.
- Chris Jacobs, co-host of Discovery Channel's television show Overhaulin' occasionally uses the fist bump, at the end of many episodes of the show.
- Bobby Flay, celebrity chef, usually gives a fist bump to his team on Iron Chef America after a challenge. In addition, he also uses them frequently when he complements his guest's dishes on Grill It! With Bobby Flay.
- Howie Mandel, host of Deal or No Deal in the US and Canada, uses the fist bump as an alternative to shaking hands. He avoids shaking hands because of the potential to spread germs.[2]
- Ali G, the character, performed by Sasha Baron Cohen uses the fist bump as a greeting and sign off with a guest.
- Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson, leaders of The Atlantic Paranormal Society (aka TAPS) and stars of Ghost Hunters on the SciFi channel, share a fist bump at the end of many episodes of their TV series.
- The pound, referred to as the fist bump, was featured in the 2007 Bud Light Super Bowl commercial.[8]
- In the sport of Mixed martial arts, the fist pound among two fighters before or during a fight is a gesture of respect and to acknowledge an appreciation for their opponent's skills.[citation needed]
- In Kingdom Hearts II, Roxas and Hayner do the fist pound to represent their promise about the Struggle match.
- The March 7th, 2008 Penny-Arcade web-comic strip features fist bumping in reference to the video game Army of Two.[9]
- In ice hockey, after a player celebrates scoring a goal with his teammates on the ice, the player typically skates by his bench, fist bumping each of his teammates as he glides from one end of the bench to the other.
- Every Fast Money on CNBC episode is ended with the hosts fist bumping each others as the show fades out.
- Seth Meyers and Amy Poehler often fist bumped at the completion of Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update".
- The hosts of The Totally Rad Show fist bump after each segment.
- While playing cricket, the two batsmen often use this gesture as an alternative to a hand shake, due to the difficulty of shaking hands with batting gloves on.
- During the climax of the movie Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult, would-be terrorists Rocco Dillon and his mother Muriel Dillon fist bump as Rocco enters the intended target, the Academy Awards.
- Myron Lowery, acting as Memphis Mayor, fist bumped the Dali Lama during his visit to Memphis.
[edit] References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Fist bump |
- ^ [1]
- ^ a b "A Brief History of the Fist Bump". Time (magazine). June 5, 2008. http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1812102,00.html. Retrieved 2008-06-08.
- ^ a b "In Historic Moment, White People Exposed To 'Fist Bump" for First Time". Alternet. June 6, 2008. http://www.alternet.org/election08/87230/. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
- ^ http://www.slate.com/id/2195347/
- ^ "Fox News anchor calls the Obamas' fist pound 'a terrorist fist jab'". Think Progress. http://thinkprogress.org/2008/06/09/fox-news-anchor-calls-the-obamas-fist-pound-a-terrorist-fist-jab/. Retrieved 2008-06-10.
- ^ [2]
- ^ Fist bump can pound out flu transmission
- ^ Fist Bump from YouTube
- ^ Our Crucial Pamphlet
[edit] External links
[edit] Further reading
- Safire, William (July 6, 2008). "Fist Bump". The New York Times Magazine. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/magazine/06wwln-safire-t.html. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
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