# Origin of polishing knuckles on lapels **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 17, 2002, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-polishing-knuckles-on-lapels/143383 "2002-12-17T19:33:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-polishing-knuckles-on-lapels/143383/1 "2002-12-17T19:33:31Z")
I’m talking about curling up your hand into a flattened-out fist and brushing the outermost knuckle joints on our own lapels in a somatic expression of some auto-congratulatory ritual. What the heck does it mean? Polishing apples? Shining up fingernails? Polishing medals? ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-polishing-knuckles-on-lapels/143383/2 "2002-12-17T19:36:03Z")
Shining up fingernails. Only big-shot men get manicures, so only they would find any use in buffing the shine. ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-polishing-knuckles-on-lapels/143383/3 "2002-12-17T22:05:05Z")
Buffing your finger nails. The full gesture should start with breathing on your nails, as if your breath will condense on them. Basically you are preening and saying, ain’t I just great? _huff__buff_