We do it when we don’t even realize it. Especially the guys. When you see a person that you haven’t seen for a while, ever engage in the hand clasp, followed by a one-handed/armed hug? It’s a common, close greeting, especially between male friends. It’s the “pound hug.”
Before that, a common greeting was a quick “pound” of the hand, often imitating a sole round of “bloody-knuckles.” It’s quick, respected and revered.
The “dap,” which stands for “dignity and pride” is a greeting that came from the 60’s, from the African-American community, according to this wiki post. From this foundation, the greeting spread throughout popular culture, evolving into many other forms of dap greeting, with added shakes, slaps, knocks and half-hugs.
Now it’s all over the place, from greetings between schoolyard friends to even on TV, where hip-hop stars are but just one group of people that use the greeting.
While some argue that the pound hug is a machismo defense mechanism against engaging in a real hug between males due to homophobic feelings, many others note the pound hug as an ever-evolving greeting. While the romans had the forearm clasps between its brothers in war, close male friends engage in their daps and pound hugs to show a similar respect.
It’s interesting to imagine what the next type of greeting will be. Just like fashion, where retro outfits come in an out of fashion, is the hand greeting facing a forward evolution, or a more complex throwback with its advancement? I for one will be trying to bring the Roman arm-clasp back into glory.
