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{{Short description|Celebratory or greeting gesture}}
A '''fist pound''', '''pound it''', '''respect knuckles''', '''bones''', or '''props''' is a type of [[social interaction]] commonly used by [[teenager]]s. It involves one person holding out their fist (poundee) and someone else "pounding it" with their fist (pounder). It is often used in situations similar to when a [[high five]] is used.
{{For|the celebratory gesture performed by a single person|Fist pump}}
A pound also can be known as a symbol of giving of respect in certain sectors of society. Fist pounds can also be followed by various other hand and body gestures to make a unique handshake between friends.
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2012}}
[[File:Choque de puños.jpg|thumb|right|Close-up of a fist bump]]
[[File:Fist bump animated illustration.gif|thumb|Fist bump animation]]
 
A '''fist bump''', also known as a '''bro fist''',<ref>{{cite book |first=Steven J. |last=Bennett |title=365 Rules of the New World |date=2015 |publisher=Balboa Press |___location=Bloomington, Indiana |isbn=9781504325851 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lTIvBgAAQBAJ&q=Fist+bump+bro+fist&pg=PA439 |access-date=March 16, 2019}}</ref> '''power five''',<ref name="time">{{cite magazine |url=https://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1812102,00.html |title=A Brief History of the Fist Bump|last=Stephey|first=M. J. |date=June 5, 2008|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time magazine]]|access-date=June 8, 2008}}</ref> a '''spud''', or also commonly known as a '''safe''' is a [[gesture]] similar in meaning to a [[handshake]] or [[high five]]. A fist bump can also be a symbol of giving respect or approval, as well as companionship between two people. It can be followed by various other hand and body gestures (such as immediately opening the palm and spreading the fingers for "knucks with explosions") and may be part of a [[dap greeting]]. It is commonly used in sports as a form of celebration with teammates and with opposition players at the beginning or end of a game. Fist bumps are often given as a form of friendly congratulation.
==Terminology==
"Pound It" can be and has been used as a celebratory offering to a member of a party who provides mirth for the others. In order to thank him or her for this often extemporaneous mirth, a pound is offered.
 
==Definition==
''Hit me with a pound'', ''Pound it up'', and ''I'll give you some for that'' are also used to commence a pounding. They are widely accepted and admired in most situations.
A fist bump is a gesture in which two people bump their [[fist]]s together (as in greeting or celebration).<ref>{{Cite web|title = fist bump |quote= a gesture in which two people bump their fists together (as in greeting or celebration) |url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fist%20bump |website=Merriam-Webster |access-date = 2015-04-29}}</ref>
 
The gesture is performed when two participants each form a closed fist with one hand and then lightly tap the front of their fists together. A participant's fists may be either vertically oriented (perpendicular to the ground) or horizontally oriented. Unlike the standard handshake, which is typically performed only with each participant's right hand, a fist bump may be performed with participants using either hand.
==Benefits of The Pound==
While handskakes are customarily disease-ridden, plague-carrying, and highly infectious, pounds are both sanitary and hygienic, offering a terrific solution to the vile pestilence of their adversary. For this reason, they have become popular in trench warfare, and continue to gain support from [[vegans]], [[Jains]], [[scientologists]], and other health advocates. Since the pound is silent, it can be done clandestinely; thus, it is quite common in secet societies such as the [[Freemasons]].
 
==History==
==Pound Expiration Time==
The "fist bump" or "pound" in European history can be traced to boxers instructed to touch gloves at the start of a contest.<ref name="Boxers Handshake">{{Cite web |title=Boxers Handshake |url=https://www.sportspundit.com/boxing/terms/492-boxers-handshake |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231210204810/https://www.sportspundit.com/boxing/terms/492-boxers-handshake |archive-date=Dec 10, 2023 |website=Sports Pundit}}</ref> Likewise, dart players bump fists that are clutching pointed mini-arrows. The modern gesture may have arisen spontaneously on city basketball courts, and was popularized by basketball player [[Fred Carter]] in the 1970s.<ref name="time" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/magazine/who-made-that-fist-bump.html |url-access=subscription |title=Who Made That Fist Bump?|last=Kennedy|first=Pagan|date=October 26, 2012|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=August 15, 2019|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
Although there exists no time constraint or expiration period in the art of the pound, there is a proper gap in which a pound ought to be delivered and accepted. Pounds often need to be distributed promptly lest they loose their gusto. The exact time restrictions are molded by the given situation's particulars (i.e. place, persons present, reason for giving pound, etc), and should be adhered to by pound purists.
 
Others trace the gesture to the [[Wonder Twins]], minor characters in the 1970s [[Hanna-Barbera]] superhero cartoon ''[[Super Friends]]'', who touched knuckles and cried "Wonder Twin powers, activate!"<ref name="time" />
For example, after a humoruous comment is delievered, an average of less then three seconds should elapse before the pound is offered.
 
Baseball Hall of Famer [[Stan Musial]] used the fist bump during the 1950–60s as an alternative to shaking hands. Musial was convinced that he was catching too many colds by picking up germs while shaking thousands of hands each year, so he adopted the fist bump as a friendly alternative.<ref>{{cite news|title=Can high-fives and fist-bumps help teams win?|url= https://www.boston.com/sports/untagged/2016/01/03/can-high-fives-and-fist-bumps-help-teams-win/|access-date=2025-07-19|first=Stan|last=Grossfeld|work=The Boston Globe|date=December 26, 2015}}</ref>
==Acceptable Pound Situations==
Receiving a pound can be as rewarding as receiving a scholarship to your [[college]] of choice. It has been compared to the opening of gifts on [[Christmas]] morning. But in order to receive such an offering, you must first arouse laughter by triggering certain aspects of conversation.
 
[[Smithsonian]] researcher LaMont Hamilton suggests that the dap originated during the [[Vietnam War]] as a modified form of the [[Black Power salute]], which was prohibited by the [[US military]].<ref name="folklife" >{{cite news |first=LaMont |last=Hamilton |title=Five on the Black Hand Side: Origins and Evolutions of the Dap |url=http://www.folklife.si.edu/talkstory/2014/five-on-the-black-hand-sideorigins-and-evolutions-of-the-dap |work=Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage |date=September 22, 2014 |access-date=September 13, 2016 }}</ref>
1. '''"The International"''' or '''"Across the Seas"''' pounds are rewarded when making a reference to a foreign country. They are often accompanied by a small phrase or brief sentiment from the respected country or culture.
 
The fist bump was seen in Australia in September 1990 at the Wetherill Park Indoor Cricket Centre between two opening batsmen, Mick Tyler and Bob Minney. At the completion of the first successful batting over for the pair, they met mid-pitch and fist bumped with their batting gloves. They continued to fist bump for the remainder of the game and it continued into the future. Now this act can be seen on various sporting fields/arenas around Australia, and it is now commonly practiced at an international level; many international cricketers fist bump in between overs or as congratulations after a six has been hit.<ref>Australian Folklore and Wetherill Park Sports Journal 4.21101990</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=June 2024}}
2. '''"Sacred"''' pounds are obtained during conversation about [[God]], the Holy Bible, or any of the twelve [[Apostles]]. Ubiquituous at [[Bible study]] meetings and various [[Youth ministry (Evangelical)|Christian youth gatherings]], these pounds have become so ingrained in Christian youth culture, that a famous painting of [[The Last Supper]] shows [[Jesus]] and the Apostles exchanging them at the dinner table.
 
In light of the [[2009 H1N1 pandemic]], the Dean of Medicine at the [[University of Calgary]], Tom Feasby, suggested that the fist bump may be a "nice replacement of the handshake" in an effort to prevent transmission of the virus.<ref>{{cite web|first=Andree|last=Lau|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/fist-bump-can-pound-out-flu-transmission-1.782767|title=Fist bump can pound out flu transmission|website=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]]|date=October 21, 2009}}</ref> Similarly, a medical study has found that fist bumps and [[high five]]s spread fewer germs than [[handshake]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-fist-bump-handshake-germs-20140728-story.html|title=Fist bumps, high-fives spread fewer germs than handshakes, study says|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=July 28, 2014|access-date=June 7, 2015}}</ref>
3. '''"Hypothetical"''', '''"Telepathic"''', '''"Brain"''', '''"Mental"''' or simply '''"Air"''' pounds are exchanged when pounder and pound receiver are either too far or merely too lethargic to slam fists with one another. This pound is frowned upon for its slothful connotation, however it is preferred to the complete absence of a pound. They can also occur when the two pounding persons are fearful that the "pound expiration time" will pass.
 
Fist bumping behavior has also been observed in [[chimpanzee]]s, according to a book written by Margaret Power in 1991.<ref name="power">{{cite book|first=Margaret|last=Power|date=1991|title=The Egalitarians – Human and Chimpanzee: An Anthropological View of Social Organization|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|___location=Cambridge, England|ISBN=0-521-40016-3}}</ref>
4. '''"Animal"''' pounds are given in comments or situations wherein it is fitting to reference members of the [[Animalia Kingdom]]. An excellent example is the ''turtle pound'', which is common at [[reptile]] [[expositions]]. It is created by the two interactors placing their thumbs between their clenched index and middle fingers in the semblance of a turtle, and then pounding their fists together. Another popular animal pound is the [[wolf]] pound. This transaction, a homage to small-town [[werewolf]] Wolfgang von Schübert, is usually dispensed alongside a bellowing howl, and requires the pounders to shape their fists into a wolf-like formation.
 
The [[COVID-19 pandemic]] has made the fist bump a common greeting, as shaking hands was discouraged to slow the spread of the virus.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.chron.com/news/article/2020-A-year-where-the-fist-bump-became-15836276.php|title=2020: A year where the fist-bump became mainstream greeting|last=Reynolds|first=Tim|work=[[Houston Chronicle]]|via=[[Associated Press]]|date=December 30, 2020|access-date=January 1, 2021|archive-date=December 31, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201231172825/https://www.chron.com/news/article/2020-A-year-where-the-fist-bump-became-15836276.php|url-status=dead}}</ref>
5. '''"Zig-Zag"''' or '''"Sidewinder"''' pounds are exchanged during situations in which room is limited, usually in a [[nightclub|crowded room]] or a small space such as a [[car]]. As suggested by their name, they are distributed in a serpentine motion. They can also be given when the pound sender is in an exceptionally jubilant mood.
 
<gallery widths="200px" heights="160px">
6. '''"Meat and Potato"''' pounds are extremely hearty and formidable. They are the strongest, purest forms of pounds and only exist between the closest of confederates. Customary eye contact is vital for the proper and fluid execution of these titanic formalities. They are usually exchanged after the poundee and pounder reunite after a long period of separation, but can also be given at funerals, farewell parties, or celebratory feasts. These are not for the faint of fist.
File: Tingler Benavides fist bumps.jpg|[[San Diego Padres]] manager [[Jayce Tingler]] and [[Cincinnati Reds]] bench coach [[Freddie Benavides]] greet umpires with fist bumps prior to a game in 2021.
File:IskoMorenoLeniRobredo2022Debate.jpg|Filipino politicians [[Isko Moreno]] and [[Leni Robredo]] bump fists before participating in one of the [[2022 Philippine presidential debates]].
</gallery>
 
==Hygiene==
7. '''"Nascent"''' pounds are given to new members of a society who were previously unaware of the art of pounding. Often slow and weak, these pounds aim more to teach than to congratulate.
A 2014 article in the [[American Journal of Infection Control]] documented that the fist bump and [[high five]] reduced the transfer of bacteria compared to the [[handshake]]. The study found that the size of the area of contact correlated with how much bacteria was transferred. High fives transferred around 50% as much as handshakes, and fist bumps significantly less.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Mela |first1=Sara |last2=Whitworth |first2=David E. |date=August 1, 2014|title=The fist bump: a more hygienic alternative to the handshake |journal=[[American Journal of Infection Control]] |___location=Arlington, Virginia |publisher=Elsevier |volume=42 |issue=8 |pages=916–917 |doi=10.1016/j.ajic.2014.04.011 |issn=1527-3296 |pmid=25087144 |url=http://pure.aber.ac.uk/ws/files/5125648/24_2014_Fist_bump.pdf}}</ref>
 
==References==
8. '''"Athletic "''' pounds are renowned for their emphatic machoness, and are sometimes problematic for novices if not given and/or received properly. They are usually administered before, during, or after a sporting activity in which a player, team, or any [[sport]]-related affiliate completes a successful play. Strictly dispensed amongst players, fans, coaches, and mascots, this form of poundage is analogous to a coach-administered slap in the butt.
{{Reflist}}
 
==Further reading==
9. '''"Paddle"''' pounds, though not given with a fist but with a [[paddle]], are extremely gleeful and euphorically exhilarating forms of communication between two teammates during a [[table tennis]] match. To initiate, the pounder simply raises his/her paddle above their head and bellows "PADDLE POUND!" to call the pound receiver into action. Often given when one or both players have successfully administered a good move during gameplay. ''Paddle'' pounds can also be given when one's team has won a match.
{{Commons category|Fist bumps}}
{{wiktionary|fist bump}}
* {{cite news |last=Safire |first=William |author-link=William Safire |date=July 6, 2008 |title=Fist Bump |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/magazine/06wwln-safire-t.html |work=[[The New York Times Magazine]] |access-date=July 15, 2008 }}
 
{{Gestures}}
10. '''"Double"''' pounds are not as simple in their execution as they are in theory. Only attempted by experienced pounders, this form of greeting involves both fists to meet symmetrically [[in media res]] of the two pounders' bodies. Missed pounds can have tragic affects - [[contusions]], bruises, torn ligaments, etc.
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fist Bump}}
[[Category:Greetings]]
[[Category:Hand gestures]]
 
[[Category:Nonverbal communication]]
{{culture-stub}}