Greetings

I was talking to someone recently (maybe Goron 3) about greetings and the awkwardness of knowing which to use sometimes. We were talking physically, but could be verbal.

I tend to broadly speaking shake hands with males and hug females, but then I have male friends I hug and female friends (normally current/former colleagues) that I wouldn't hug or really shake hands so it's just kind of an awkward wave.

And then having numerous European friends I have become use to the cheek kiss. Normally inclined for one on each but then I have some English females I know that will do a cheek kiss but then I always turn it to two without thinking and it becomes weird and unexpected. And cheek kissing varies between location, gender and familiarity (wiki explains it all) and let's not get started on the French and their variances depending on the number of people!

So how would you normally greet (or say goodbye to, as often they're the same) people? Any particular customs you have with friends? Maybe a super cool secret handshake?

Hi Ashley, welcome to the forum!

(awkward greeting of when you meet somebody and they clearly had no fucking clue what was said)

EDIT: Normal response.

When I meet new people I will tend to shake their hand if the opportunity is there, I won't force it but I will offer if possible. Sometimes I meet people sitting down/engaged in something, so that's off. It's gender-neutral. Some people go for the hug, if they do, I reciprocate. Some don't, some don't even like a handshake. Usually though I'll go for a good handshake or have it in mind, but gauge the person's reaction. Dude greetings tend to start with a handshake. Lady greetings are always mixed depending on the lady (first time greetings I refer to).

Work meeting/greeting is always a handshake. Closer colleagues occasionally get a hug, but rarely. My ultimate goal however is, to one day, hug my boss. I say ultimate, it's a musing I just came up with, but it's nothing something she does lol. I think if anyone can I can though. I'd probably have to throw a handshake in their for prosperity's sake though.

Hugging - I love a hug. It never used to be the done thing when I was younger and in the late 90s, I feel it came up a bit more in the early 00s. I adopted it as a teen and kept with it. Again - generally gender neutral, but it's person dependant. I think I hug most dudes I know these days, usually on a goodbye rather than a hello, and most dudettes get a hug too. I've currently only got a specific greeting/goodbye handshake with one dude, iirc.

I'm currently making a bit of a point of not hugging a guy mate though(GF's cousin). He hugged me goodbye as getting off a bus a few months back and smashed me into the fucking pole thingy, fucked a rib completely. He's very insistent on hugs, so I like to make the joke about the rib now. It's not quite a unique handshake, but it's a little joke for me and him(he still wants da hugs tho).

When I meet a new person, whilst starting with a handshake, I do find sometimes it will be a goodbye with a hug. I tend, again, to go for it with verbal warning, and people don't necessarily object. I think I just prefer a hug, even if it's a manly bro-hug.

Even the handshake thing is hard. You have to gauge how cool the other person is, as it will depend on whether to go for the standard shake, the fist bump, the weird upturned handgrip, the slap 'n' slide, the grab and backslap etc. Who knows what the other guy is going to to?!

I'm common tbh.

I say "Alright, love" to girls and say "Hey dude/lad" to the boys who I'm comfortable with. I hug girls and do the handshake-to-pat-on-back thing to guys when it comes to my friends. Otherwise, it's just "hey" or "hello".

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My best male friends: Handshake + bro-hug.

Other male friends: Handshake

All female friends: Hug.

My girlfriend: Pants-down-hug.

(all for both greetings and goodbyes)

People I meet for the first time: Handshake, eye contact and a simple "Hi, I'm Radi." (it's my nickname).

For goodbyes with people I have just met it depends. Men that I like get a handshake from me, the others only a "Goodbye."

With the females it comes down to whether I like them or not, too. If I do: hug, if I don't: just "Goodbye.".

I don't like cheek kissing, which makes meeting my girlfriend's grandfather weird because he always kisses me on the cheek (he started it at the second time we met...it was really awkward for me).

Even the handshake thing is hard. You have to gauge how cool the other person is, as it will depend on whether to go for the standard shake, the fist bump, the weird upturned handgrip, the slap 'n' slide, the grab and backslap etc. Who knows what the other guy is going to to?!

I always go for the standard hand shake. I hate when people go for the upturned handshake, it's just weird. Sometimes you can tell someone is about to go for that and they'll always back down if you hold your ground.

This fist bump was brilliant.

At least with the upturned handshake, you can usually see it coming, as their arm arrives at a completely different angle, giving you enough time to adjust.

The slap 'n' slide is a lot harder to prepare for, as their hand comes in at a standard handshake angle, but then as you go for the grip, they slap your hand and slide back into the fingerlock, leaving you confused and ashamed.

Male friends (regardless of being best or not) - Nothing special, just a simple "hello" or an "alright, how's things"

Meeting new people - Handshake (male) or Hug (female)

Girlfriend - Kiss and hug

Nothing special, that's just how i greet people. It's the same as when i say bye (except i say bye, see you later) to friends instead of hello (that would be weird)

I say "Alright, love" to girls

How does that pan out for you?

Yeah, this thread is definitely inspired by one of our Euston Tap conversations!

I normally always go for handshakes with both men and women but it was quite strange moving to an organisation where I had to great everyone with the double kiss. Dem Europeans!

Yeah, this thread is definitely inspired by one of our Euston Tap conversations!

 

I normally always go for handshakes with both men and women but it was quite strange moving to an organisation where I had to great everyone with the double kiss. Dem Europeans!

Better not go to Belgium then as it is 3 kisses there. :P

I think for me it depends on the setting and who I'm greeting. If it is a professional setting, it will of course just be a handshake.

If it's people I am meeting for the first time, it will usually just be a 'Hi' and giving them a little wave or whatever.

If I know them quite well, it seems to depend on the people. My Dutch friends get two kisses (sometimes 3 when I get confused). English friends will get a hug if we are close enough. If not then it's just the 'Hi' + wave.

It gets confusing and awkward to be honest, cause some people are instant huggers/kissers even if you've only just met. So they lean in but you're not sure what they are going to do. :P

Better not go to Belgium then as it is 3 kisses there. :P

 

I think for me it depends on the setting and who I'm greeting. If it is a professional setting, it will of course just be a handshake.

 

If it's people I am meeting for the first time, it will usually just be a 'Hi' and giving them a little wave or whatever.

 

If I know them quite well, it seems to depend on the people. My Dutch friends get two kisses (sometimes 3 when I get confused). English friends will get a hug if we are close enough. If not then it's just the 'Hi' + wave.

 

It gets confusing and awkward to be honest, cause some people are instant huggers/kissers even if you've only just met. So they lean in but you're not sure what they are going to do. :P

Well next time we meet it's three kisses then.

And Jim gets dry jumped because that's a meat I'd halal.

I'm a definite hugger. But, I get away with being that way because of me being me. If it's a really good friend, I'll grab their arse whilst I do it. Male or female, I don't care.

I'm a lover, not a fighter.