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Guys, do you handshake girls?

This wonderful guy decided to introduce himself to me today at work (second time now) and tried to give me a handshake. Me being the nervous reck I am rejected him on the two occasions he offered and instead hi5'd him. He also started conversation but once again I ruined it.

Anyway, I hardly get handshakes from guys! What does this mean?

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Reply 1

Four Queue

It's the most formal, non creepy/pervy way of introducing yourself. It means nothing more than that, stop over thinking.

Reply 2

Make-Me-A-Geek

Nah, I just give them a slap round the backside.
Works a treat...

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 3

tamimi

Rarely, but yeah, it's the only way we can not come off as horny perverts, particularly when meeting someone in a work environment or sometimes when you meet someone you spoke to online or something. It's either handshake or no physical greeting of any form.

Reply 4

feenicks89

Take it as a complement , handshakes are a sign of respect, and plus its a work environment so more likely going to be a handshake , I would anyway, its less sexist .

Cant go around kissing every girl on the cheek twice like its a Mediterranean Family Gathering. Or in your case could just High Five them?! not sure how you prefer that over a handshake. lol

Reply 5

iknowi2

just say hi? you don't need to make any physical contact.

Reply 6

Palatial Veranda

I regularly do this and more often than not it is the outward result of an inward social-psychological battle and I end up feeling a little awkward.

For example I might think:

"This particular interaction requires a physical gesture, more advanced than a mere comment, hand gesture or facial expression however a hug is far too much so I'll go in for a handshake . . . . oh, should I have done that? Should it have just been a 'hello'?, perhaps it should have been a kiss on the cheek? Does this girl think that I think that she is man now?"

Reply 7

ihaventaclue

HARAAM (forbidden) I TELL YOU!

Reply 8

IQ Test

It depends how well I know them. I give all my friends handshakes so it's no different for girls and a lot of my friends think it's a nice personality quirk of mine, as not many people handshake at my sixth form. If ever I'm meeting someone, male or female for the first time, I always offer a handshake.

Reply 9

Kage

If its someone I don't know, I guess it depends. Sometimes hugs are appropiate, whilst others sometimes a handshake.
I've been known to hug both sexes. Don't really care.

Reply 10

Solid.Snake

I do actually find it a little awkward giving girls a handshake, as i would have thought it's mostly a guy to guy thing.
However, i never offer a handshake to a girl, unless she initiates it to which i would accept and shake her hand.

Only a few times, i've shook hands with a woman and that was in interviews and not all female interviewers do this, whereas nearly all male interviewers i've had literally shake hands always.
Could be just my experience...

Reply 11

Solid.Snake

Original post by Kage

If its someone I don't know, I guess it depends. Sometimes hugs are appropiate, whilst others sometimes a handshake.
I've been known to hug both sexes. Don't really care.

Lol you made me to just imagine randomly hugging an interviewer at the end of an interview! :biggrin:

Reply 12

PoGo HoPz

Original post by Make-Me-A-Geek

Nah, I just give them a slap round the backside.
Works a treat...

Ledge.

Reply 13

Kage

Original post by Solid.Snake

Lol you made me to just imagine randomly hugging an interviewer at the end of an interview! :biggrin:

Haha!!! Okay, in a situation like that, handshakes are best!

Now imagine a high 5!

Reply 14

ed-

Why would you reject a handshake? Even if you don't see that as conventional it's still incredibly rude to reject it.

But yeah, a handshake's acceptable if you've never met and are in a moderately formal situation.

As for what it means, he's just being respectful and introducing himself to a colleague. Which is only polite really. Did you expect him to launch into a hug? Or just plain ignore you?
What he probably got from you rejecting it is that you're rude, not that you're shy. Or just socially awkward.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 15

Harold 50a

Original post by iamsuperwoman

I handshake girls all the time when i get to know them. I am getting touch feely from the beginning start of lightly ( always with handshake or secret handshakes) and get more physical and physical with a hug etc. so that the kiss in the end wont seem as awkward.
However my foundation is always the handshake, oh yeah thats the base :cool:

He either is just polite or tries to get into a convo with you by trying to make you more comfortable in showing that he is a gentleman i guess :wink:

Dont reject him again because then he will give up and thing you are not interested. At least I would. ^^

Reply 16

spun29

First Day : Handshake
Second Day : Hug
Third Day : Kiss on the cheek
Fourth Day : Kiss on the lip
Fifth Day : Her mouth is somewhere down on the guy ;P

Its all jokes...Lady Gagagagagahaha haha lol

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Reply 17

TimmonaPortella

Only sort of ironically. I'd find it a bit weird done seriously.

Direct equivalent with girls you know = a hug; direct equivalent with ones you don't, or in a formal setting = no contact.

Reply 18

tdawe

Surprised so many people find this weird. I always offer a handshake when I meet someone.

Reply 19

Bibliomaniac

He's shaking your hand to find your pulse. Once he determines if your beat is sufficient, he will tie you up and perform open heart surgery. Why? Because he has swag. That's why.