# Clapping

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clapping/102161>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 6, 2002, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clapping/102161 "2002-04-06T10:12:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Nishroch\_Order](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Nishroch\_Order](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nishroch_Order)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clapping/102161/1 "2002-04-06T10:12:45Z")

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Does anyone know how did clapping originate as a demonstration of approval?

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**Author:** ![femtosecond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@femtosecond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/femtosecond)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clapping/102161/2 "2002-04-06T12:59:41Z")

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Yes.

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**Author:** ![femtosecond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@femtosecond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/femtosecond)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clapping/102161/3 "2002-04-06T13:11:27Z")

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😉 Well, Cecil knows. Though he didn’t tell us yet. Only [What is the sound of one hand clapping?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_049.html)

But try [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=29469). Doesn’t explain everything, but it’s a start.