High five

"Gimme five" redirects here. For the ITV children's show, see Gimme 5.

The high five is a celebratory gesture, usually executed by two people at a time. To properly execute a high five, each person raises a hand to make contact, or slap, the opposing raised hand of the other. If the initiator offers the right hand, the reciprocator offers the right hand, as one would with a traditional handshake. The gesture is currently most commonly employed to communicate mutual satisfaction between spectators and between participants alike, during a sporting event, or to extend congratulations from one person to another in any informal setting. The hand and arm are usually extended in an upward fashion to form the "high" part, and the palms of each hand make physical contact in final execution of the gesture. The usual and ordinary five fingers of the human hand equal "five" in number, hence the name "high five". Nobaddude (talk) 04:00, 27 August 2009 (UTC)[Citation Needed]

Possible origins

The exact origin of the high five remains unknown, although some baseball fans have credited the introduction of the high five to Glenn Burke and Dusty Baker: Burke was known to initiate the gesture during his relatively brief career with the late 1970s Los Angeles Dodgers,But in actuality, the high five was clearly in wide use before then. In fact, Dean Martin is seen to initiate a high five with Louis Armstrong (after their rendition of ""When The Saints Go Marching In") in an episode of the Dean Martin Show that aired during the latter months of 1965.

Earlier examples include the 1941 Abbott & Costello film In The Navy, in which the Andrews Sisters perform the song "Gimme Some Skin, My Friend". During this musical number, high fives and high tens (see below) are frequently exchanged by the performers in the revue. Additionally, in the 1927 film The Jazz Singer, actor Al Jolson executes the low five in celebration of the news of a Broadway audition, illustrating that these gestures were used in music circles — how widely remains unknown — at least as early as 1927, and probably earlier, since moving pictures borrowed from gestures that were already in common use. The gesture has since spread to sports and into broader popular culture.

A related gesture, the "high ten" involves the initiator raising two hands simultaneously to another person, and then making contact with both the reciprocator's hands. This is also commonly known as a "double high five", and is occasionally followed by a chest bump.

Variations

In addition to the standard high five, several types of "five" exist, and this factor adds variety to the experience, which tends to maximize the satisfaction of participants. The "low five" (see below) had already been known, during the 1940s, in African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) as "giving skin" or "slapping skin".

"Gimme some skin"

The phrase "gimme some skin" is thought to have originated in Harlem, New York City (at least this is one area in which it was widely used as early as 1941) — note that the Don Raye and Gene De Paul song "Gimme Some Skin, My Friend" lyric (as performed by the Andrews Sisters) indicates that "if you want to shake my hand like they do in Harlem, stick your hand right out and shout, 'Gimme some skin, my friend'". Additionally, the 1947 Harry "The Hipster" Gibson tune "Who Put The Benzedrine In Mrs. Murphy's Ovaltine" observes "They say she's lost about 57 pounds / Mr. Murphy claims she's getting awful thin / And all she says is, 'Gimme some skin'"! Whether these gestures were, at that point, known as "high five" or a "low five" (depending, of course, on the altitude of execution), is currently unknown. That they originated in AAVE is undisputed.

Left hanging

If one initiates a high five (or any variation thereof) by offering a hand, and no reciprocal hand appears to consummate the gesture, the initiator is said to have been "left hanging". This is considered, in social circles, to be a faux pas that can be somewhat embarrassing, or enlightening, depending on who the person is. Initiating a high five excessively can also be considered a faux pas, and can grow to be quite annoying to non-initiators.

Low five

In contrast to the high five, the low five is executed either by standing normally, or by first crouching, and then offering the five at this reduced altitude. The low five is typically offered while walking in an opposing direction to the initiator's counterpart (e.g., passing in the office hallway or on the street). Additionally, the low five may also be given in tandem when running a gauntlet of some type (e.g., the party line at a roller disco, or the chute on Don Cornelius' television program, Soul Train).

Air five

Two people engaging in the "air five"

An air five, sometime called a "five up", is a variation of the normal high five; however, the hands of the participants never physically touch. This is commonly implemented if the participants are too far apart in proximity to engage in the typical high five. The participants may simply pretend to high five, or may make a mouth-noise to emulate the sound, use voices, or even slap the bottom of their forearms simultaneously, to produce a slapping sound similar to a physical high five.

This form of the high five is believed to have originated by a television sports anchor Darrell Patterson in Chattanooga, TN (USA) who offered to give a high five to a viewer who was obviously not in close proximity to him.

"Too slow, buffalo"

The "too slow" variation of a high five occurs when appears to be engaging in a high five initiation; however, the initiator succeeds in pulling their hand away before any reciprocator can make contact. This is the only known "five" that may be used as an insult as well as a compliment, and, as early as 1971, was commonly followed by the taunting expression "too slow, Buffalo!" This expression probably had nothing to do with Buffalo, New York, and more to do with the rhyming of the words slow and "buffalo". It is unknown the extent to which "too slow, buffalo" is in current English usage.

• The common procedure for a "too slow high five" may involve the following dialog before hand:

1. Initiator declares, "gimme five"), and assumes the posture (hand at or above shoulder height), at which time it is high fived by a participating high fiver.
2. Initiator declares, "up high", and assumes the posture, and assumes the posture (hand typically above the head), where it is high fived by a participating high fiver.
3. Initiator may further declare, "down low", and assume the posture (hand below waist level), and reciprocator attempts to "low five" the presumably offered hand.
4. Initiator pulls hand away at the last moment before contact, causing the reciprocator, now the victim, to miss the five altogether.
5. Initiator then gloats or taunts "too slow!" or "too slow, buffalo!" (depending on the age, maturity level, or blood-alcohol content of the initiator).

There are many variations on this theme, with additions of "at the side" and other hand positions for the reciprocator to contact the initiator's hand, and thus a greater number of opportunities for the initiator to deceive the victim.

• 
  Step two: "Up high"
• 
  Step three: "Down low"
• 
  Step four: Victim misses
• 
  Step Five: "Too slow"

"In the hole, got some soul five"

During the early 1970s, the "in the hole, got some soul five" was very popular among American civilians in the USA, and on air bases, army posts, in military housing, and in Department of Defense Dependent Schools in Europe (DODDSEUR) in then-West Germany. Its execution was very similar to the "too slow five", with the exception that there was no deception involved in the execution. *The common procedure for an "in the hole, got some soul five" may involve the following dialog:

1. Steps 1-3 are repeated as in the aforementioned "too slow five"
2. Initiator then declares "in the hole", and forms a hole-shape with the executing hand, touching the index finger and thumb in much the same fashion that one would do when politely coughing into the hand.
3. Reciprocator then makes contact palm to "hole", whereupon the initiator suddenly remarks that the reciprocator "got some soul".

Due to the lack of jazz-type cool attached to the "in the hole, got some soul five", its popularity waned almost as soon as it was invented, dying out in almost a single afternoon. It is, however, still recalled with fondness by dependents whose parents happened to be stationed in then-West Germany in the early 1970s.

Geek high five

This version of the high five plays on the perception that the "geek" or the "bookworm" is not as physically coordinated or nimble as the musician or the athlete. For this reason, the geek high five is executed in a right-hand-to-left-hand fashion. That is, rather than following the traditional handshake formula of right-hand-to-right-hand, the reciprocator offers the initiator the left hand instead of the right. This being intuitive to the initiator, the geek high five is successfully executed.

Self high five

This gesture does not retain the popularity it once did: It was very often seen during the 1930s-1960s in US political circles, and has lost the "pop" it once enjoyed. The self high five, also loosely referred to as the 'mano-a-mano' (Spanish for "hand-to-hand"; Italian for "hand-by-hand") is still one of the most under-appreciated forms of high five, for the reasons that it is now done in solitude and off-camera. Moreover, a second party is typically unavailable in close proximity, making the self high five one's only option.

The gesture is formed by raising an initiating hand, depending on the person's ambidexterity, above the head at a slightly acute angle. Once formed, the initiating hand awaits the trailing alternate hand, and both palms meet above the head. The political flavor of the self high five is held for an indeterminate period of time, as though one were shaking one's own hand above their head. Otherwise, it is done in a celebratory fashion when honoring one's own accomplishments, or upon narrowly escaping a misfortune. This gratifying sign can be observed in offices, driving a motor vehicle, or in public when surrounded by strangers. There really is no need for a second party to execute the self high five and, therefore, it is usually appropriate to engage in a self high five because of its high success rate. That is to say, it is the rarest of occasions that a self high five would be "left hanging".

Jackson five

The Jackson-Five is a variation on the standard and double high five, involving more members. Typically five people will stand in a circle, and each person will simultaneously high five those on the left and right of them. The Jackson five had its origin with, and was popularized by, the musical group The Jackson Five who performed this act on each other, offstage after concerts and television performances.

Wheel five

This complex variation consists of a series of fives: In one continuous motion, this is a high five followed by a low five, with the participants' arms moving in a circular motion, which can either flow clockwise or counter-clockwise. This gesture enjoyed brief popularity (approximately 17 seconds) in the 1980s, having been made popular by the "Goose" and "Maverick" characters in the movie Top Gun.

Back/Black hand side

Usually preceded by the typical high five. This variation is executed with the opposite side of the hand. Typically referred to as the Backhand or Black Hand Side among African-Americans.

Jellyfish high five

This high five variation can be used as a cleverly disguised insult, much in the same manner as the "too slow" high five. The initiator of the jellyfish high five offers the hand in a standard high five position. Upon reciprocating, the reciprocator offers to also engage in this high five, only for the initiator to retract the hand just before the high five consummates, "swimming" away and emulating a jellyfish motion. The perpetrator of this deception might further add to would-be reciprocator's humiliation by exclaiming "jellyfish!" upon completion of the hand-retraction. Again, this depends on the initiator's age, maturity level, or blood-alcohol level.

In popular culture

According to Guinness World Records, the current world record for "Most high fives in 24 hours (individual)" is held by Blake Rodgers of Cranston, Rhode Island, USA who high fived 3,131 people at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island, USA, on September 6, 2008.

There have been examples (comedic or otherwise) of fictional TV characters who high five.

• "The Todd" from the series Scrubs will initiate high fives excessively.
• Barney Stinson from the series How I Met Your Mother will celebrate various conquests with a high five; sometimes even utilizing the "hypothetical" high five.
• David Puddy of Seinfeld is prone to giving strangers the high five, usually as a greeting, when it is neither suitable nor appropriate.
• In the short-lived animated MTV series Clone High, the cloned version of Gandhi is fond of high fives. In Season 1, Episode 10, Litter Kills; Gandhi requests under-the-table fives from Joan of Arc when she visits him in jail. An example of a high five "left hanging" can be seen in Season 1, Episode 3, A.D.D.: The Last 'D' Is for Disorder.
• The high five also featured prominently in the recurring sketch "The High-Five’n White Guys" on the Seattle comedy show Almost Live!
• Sacha Noam Baron Cohen, during his run on "Da Ali G Show" often initiated the traditional high five in a humorous manner.
• In the Family Guy episode "Meet the Quagmires", Peter and Cleveland engage in a "slap five" sequence that includes meeting at a certain address in an hour to slap five.

External links

• National High- Five Day is celebrated on the third Thursday in April every year.
• The Matt Gray High Five Face Off Shows many different styles of high five.
• High Five Me includes further information on the history and different forms of the high five, plus detailed information on the science of the high five.
• The Man Who Invented the High-Five includes the story of Glenn Burke's supposed invention of the High-Five.
• Gimme 5: History of a Handshake documentary.
• High-Five Hollywood
• Internet High Five
• National High Five Day Myspace
• They Might Be Giants - High Five