# Origins of public displays of praise and disdain (clapping, booing, etc.)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-public-displays-of-praise-and-disdain-clapping-booing-etc/141960>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 11, 2002, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-public-displays-of-praise-and-disdain-clapping-booing-etc/141960 "2002-12-11T05:47:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-public-displays-of-praise-and-disdain-clapping-booing-etc/141960/1 "2002-12-11T05:47:14Z")

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Why do (e.g.) people in the US (and elsewhere) repeatedly slap their hands together audibly to indicate they like someone in a public venue, and boo and hiss to indicate they don’t?

And all the other conventions (as I understand, whistling is the equivalent of booing in some parts of Europe).

Etc., etc.

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**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-public-displays-of-praise-and-disdain-clapping-booing-etc/141960/2 "2002-12-11T05:52:54Z")

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- sweet triple digits! \*

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**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-public-displays-of-praise-and-disdain-clapping-booing-etc/141960/3 "2002-12-11T06:55:50Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by F. U. Shakespeare \*  
> \*\*(as I understand, whistling is the equivalent of booing in some parts of Europe).  
> \*\*

Yes. It is.  
Apart from that, no clue about your question…

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**Author:** ![muttrox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a8b319/32.png) [@muttrox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muttrox)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-public-displays-of-praise-and-disdain-clapping-booing-etc/141960/4 "2002-12-11T13:42:09Z")

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WAG – Why not? You need some way to indicate your feelings that will be percieved at a distance. How many ways are there?

(BTW, I understand deaf people wave their hands to cheer.)