# Injuries from handshakes?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/injuries-from-handshakes/304558>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [May 19, 2005, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/injuries-from-handshakes/304558 "2005-05-19T11:29:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/injuries-from-handshakes/304558/21 "2005-05-20T15:36:53Z")

</div>

> [@Trunk](#):
>
> \<snip\>Anecdote: the stupidest handshake I’ve ever encountered was a guy who didn’t grip it excessively firmly, but grabbed my hand and then “turned it over” so that his hand was on top. . .the back of his hand facing up.
> 
> “ooo oooo. . .you big man. . .I submit. You are my superior. . .except for that ego problem.”
> 
> You can’t even naturally “shake” with your hand in that position.

My husband has mentioned experiencing that a couple of times. I think the proper response to that is to look at what he just did to your hand, look at him, and say “What the hell is wrong with you?”

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/injuries-from-handshakes/304558/22 "2005-05-20T15:38:17Z")

</div>

Oh, as for the European kissing thing, it’ll never go over in Canada. We’re reserved, cool folk, you know. I think we should all just start bowing instead of handshaking - might cut down on colds and flus.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/injuries-from-handshakes/304558/23 "2005-05-20T21:13:16Z")

</div>

In Tim Green’s _The Dark Side of the Game,_ he explains how to shake hands with an NFL player. These big strong guys do so much weightlifting and bashing each other around that their hands hurt terribly all through the season. Shake hands with them very gently.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/injuries-from-handshakes/304558.md?page=1)