# :: does happy dance :: - How do you pictue it? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 20, 2004, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-happy-dance-how-do-you-pictue-it/275787 "2004-11-20T02:56:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-happy-dance-how-do-you-pictue-it/275787/1 "2004-11-20T02:56:12Z")
OK, this is pretty mundane and pointless, but I suppose it’s a poll, so I’ll put it in IMHO. If a mod wants to move it, please feel free. I’ve seen that…what would you call it, a text smilie? - in a few posts, and I get a kick out of it. What kind of dancing do you imagine when you think of “the happy dance”? I kind of get the image of Snoopy dancing on top of the piano, but that’s impractical IRL. So, what do you see? ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-happy-dance-how-do-you-pictue-it/275787/2 "2004-11-20T03:06:56Z")
I imagine Snoopy, too! But I think my real-life happy dance is sort of like the movements one makes when one is in a conga line, but done in place. Hands are lightly clenched, and moved back and forth with elbows bent. Boy, that’s hard to describe! ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-happy-dance-how-do-you-pictue-it/275787/3 "2004-11-20T03:18:47Z")
I think of the cauldron-stirring thing, where you move both hands around in a circle. ---
**Author:** ![Oregon\_sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/50afbb/32.png) [@Oregon\_sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oregon_sunshine)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-happy-dance-how-do-you-pictue-it/275787/4 "2004-11-20T03:21:31Z")
I always think of Snoopy and Woodstock dancing around in their 60s style pitter-patter. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-happy-dance-how-do-you-pictue-it/275787/5 "2004-11-20T03:38:31Z")
A cross between the Church Lady’s “Superior Dance” and all the Peanuts characters combined. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-happy-dance-how-do-you-pictue-it/275787/6 "2004-11-20T03:39:16Z")
Snoopy! ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-happy-dance-how-do-you-pictue-it/275787/7 "2004-11-20T03:42:53Z")
You know the scene in Lord of the Rings where Gollum talks to himself and finishes up with a little spinning dance? “Smeagol is freeee!” Yeah, lately I picture that as a happy dance. I _used_ to picture it as Homer Simpson’s lie-down-and-walk-in-a-circle stunt. Even before that, it was Balki’s Dance of Joy! ---
**Author:** ![LordVor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90ced4/32.png) [@LordVor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LordVor)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-happy-dance-how-do-you-pictue-it/275787/8 "2004-11-20T03:45:24Z")
Either Snoopy with his nose in the air and kicking up his feet, or “I am e-vil Ho-mer! I am e-vil Ho-mer!” -lv ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-happy-dance-how-do-you-pictue-it/275787/9 "2004-11-20T04:13:54Z")
Yep, definitely the Snoopy/Peanuts dance. ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-happy-dance-how-do-you-pictue-it/275787/10 "2004-11-20T04:15:48Z")
Twirling. You know, when you stick your arms out and spin around as fast as you can? Happy = Dizzy ---
**Author:** ![shamrock227](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@shamrock227](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shamrock227)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-happy-dance-how-do-you-pictue-it/275787/11 "2004-11-20T04:25:24Z")
Snoopy! ---
**Author:** ![LorieSmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a587f6/32.png) [@LorieSmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LorieSmurf)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-happy-dance-how-do-you-pictue-it/275787/12 "2004-11-20T04:27:04Z")
Yeah, the Snoopy dance ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-happy-dance-how-do-you-pictue-it/275787/13 "2004-11-20T04:34:04Z")
geek alert. I actually picture xander, from buffy, imitating the snoopy dance. (season four, ‘the replacement’) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-happy-dance-how-do-you-pictue-it/275787/14 "2004-11-20T04:36:56Z")
> [@chrisk](#): > > geek alert. > > I actually picture xander, from buffy, imitating the snoopy dance. (season four, ‘the replacement’) > > 🙂 I’m sorry, that should be season FIVE. (Hands over geek credentials, slinks away down the walk of shame.) :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Roland\_Orzabal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@Roland\_Orzabal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roland_Orzabal)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-happy-dance-how-do-you-pictue-it/275787/15 "2004-11-20T04:49:39Z")
> [@Green Bean](#): > > I imagine Snoopy, too! > > But I think my real-life happy dance is sort of like the movements one makes when one is in a conga line, but done in place. Hands are lightly clenched, and moved back and forth with elbows bent. > > Boy, that’s hard to describe! It’s similar to this; the arms are bent, but they are moved up and down (at the shoulder) rather than back and forth, and the hands are clenched into fists save for the index and middle fingers, which are extended. Wiggling of the hands is optional. The legs are kicked out to the side when the arm of the corresponding side is raised. Yes, my happy dance is too damn complicated. I don’t care. I like it anyway. In fact, I’ll do it now, as I laugh at all your failed attempts to picture it. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![emekthian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecae2f/32.png) [@emekthian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emekthian)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-happy-dance-how-do-you-pictue-it/275787/16 "2004-11-20T07:37:17Z")
I always imagined it as the little raise-your-arms-in-the-air-and-spin routine that the characters from various Final Fantasy games do after a successful battle. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-happy-dance-how-do-you-pictue-it/275787/17 "2004-11-20T07:51:28Z")
> [@chrisk](#): > > I’m sorry, that should be season FIVE. > > (Hands over geek credentials, slinks away down the walk of shame.) > > :smack: hehe, Ummm it’s not like tons of us would know the difference. I think your geek credentials are probably safe 😃 Oh yeah, and me 17 for the Snoopy Dance. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-happy-dance-how-do-you-pictue-it/275787/18 "2004-11-20T08:21:05Z")
> [@fishbicycle](#): > > OK, this is pretty mundane and pointless, but I suppose it’s a poll, so I’ll put it in IMHO. If a mod wants to move it, please feel free. > > I’ve seen that…what would you call it, a text smilie? - in a few posts, and I get a kick out of it. What kind of dancing do you imagine when you think of “the happy dance”? I kind of get the image of Snoopy dancing on top of the piano, but that’s impractical IRL. So, what do you see? I imagine Dr. Zoidberg (from Futurama) doing one of his native dances (like the apology dance). ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-happy-dance-how-do-you-pictue-it/275787/19 "2004-11-20T09:11:19Z")
Ever play City of Heroes, and cycle through the different dances? There’s kind of Tom Jones-esque dance in there… that’s what I picture. And that’s my happy dance. I usually say, instead of “happy dance”: “Tom Jones!” and immediately flex the chest muscles and do the dance. I don’t like Tom Jones. But I like to do the dance. When I am happy, I must touch the sky. ::Tom Jones:: ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-happy-dance-how-do-you-pictue-it/275787/20 "2004-11-20T13:53:31Z")
Definitely the Snoopy dance, song included. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-happy-dance-how-do-you-pictue-it/275787.md?page=2)