AdobePinon

snowbunny

Choose the lesser of two evils and go for the one-two handshake. Make eye contact a mile off, extend your right hand for a hearty handshake. It's manly to wring the shite out of another man's hand; for the ladies, be firm, but gently cover their right hand (now shaking your hand) with your left hand and give a little squeeze.

Hey, it's a compromise.

anotherlimey

Sounds like the John Major handshake, and we all know where that led to. :scared:

Nigel

It's got to be a regional thing! I'm from the north east originally and we never hugged but my friends in London are always hugging each other. Similarly in the US I'm guessing we have regional variances - I'm guessing reserved New Englanders only hug when they know you well.

I was surprised to find I was hugged more in the UK on my last trip back (maybe the UK's becoming more huggable)???

Maybe someone can do a poll on huggability by state?

I'm also afraid the hugging tendency is rubbing off and I'm now finding myself hugging other people!!!

This has "gotten" (I hate that word) much worse since I heard someone suggest hugging people was a great way to make someone happy ... something along the lines of "everybody needs hugs" .... everybody except Scotsmen in Texas apparently!

ScotsmanInTexas

Well exactly Nigel and it probably is a regional thing. Problem is I hate strangers hugging me and here in Texas everybody seems to hug everyone all the time. In fact there's so much hugging going on I wonder how they get anything done at all. I went to Austin on a trip and half way down a street a man came up and hugged me, well I was alarmed I can say and wondered what was going on. I was wearing an Italy football top and turns out he was an Italian, I didn't have the heart to tell him I wasn't Italian and it was a souvenier from a previous holiday, so instead I smiled and said 'grazie infinite' and walked on. I suppose in Texas that passes as a reason for hugging a complete stranger! Those Texans though, I just don't get it, it's let's hug for the hell of it!

ScotsmanInTexas

[QUOTE=snowbunny]Choose the lesser of two evils and go for the one-two handshake. Make eye contact a mile off, extend your right hand for a hearty handshake. It's manly to wring the shite out of another man's hand; for the ladies, be firm, but gently cover their right hand (now shaking your hand) with your left hand and give a little squeeze.[QUOTE]

Yes, sounds like a plan since I don't mind shaking paws. Only question is why am I squeezing the womans hand? I think some of them might get the wrong idea!

peacelover

Group hug!

snowbunny

It's less intimate than hugging (goosing while hugging is optional ).

snowbunny

He was a long way from home and there aren't that many Italians here in Austin. Austin is much more laidback than other parts of Texas. If someone randomly hugs you, they may be a hippie, or they may just be on E/X. Very unlikely they are trying to pick your pocket.

ScotsmanInTexas

Austin gets my thumbs up. It's a great place, great music (and free) and the hottest wings I ever had. Yes, it is a very laid back altogether cool place. Last time I was there I went to see the bats under the bridge. It's amazing the size of the crowd those creatures of the night pull! :scared:

Pigtails

I'm a big hugger! My family wasn't close back home, so it was nice when I came over here and could hug till my heart's content!

Guelder Rose

[QUOTE=ScotsmanInTexas][QUOTE=snowbunny]Choose the lesser of two evils and go for the one-two handshake. Make eye contact a mile off, extend your right hand for a hearty handshake. It's manly to wring the shite out of another man's hand; for the ladies, be firm, but gently cover their right hand (now shaking your hand) with your left hand and give a little squeeze. I don't mind shaking hands either, but when a man holds my hand and squeezes it ... well, that just seems to be a bit more personal than just a handshake. From a friend that would be fine ... but I don't shake hands with friends!

snowbunny

The situation I was referring to was if there's someone in your social circle who considers his/herself to be close to you but YOU don't feel that close to them. eg your spouse's great-aunties.

Guelder Rose

Yes .. although I have had men hold my hand and squeeze it ... and then keep holding it till I have to kind of extract my hand from theirs ... usually business contacts ... always made me wary of them thereafter!

Nigel

OK ... so Italians are big huggers??

Do we know who a little huggers??