Smacking your hands together is the customary method of showing that you like something such as a performance. The problem is, it's quite distracting and can slow down a performance or speech every time there's a pause long enough for clapping to start.
I propose a new method of showing appreciation. Simply angle one hand such as it's parallel to the ground. Like you're asking for money, but flip your hand so that your palm is down. Perfect. Ok, you're currently displaying about an appreciation level of 2. Now reach your hand as high as it will go, with your hand still in that position. Great - that's a 10.
Next time you've finished your main Aria, don't panic if the audience is silent. A quick glance will tell you if you're loved, and you can start singing your next piece.-- Worldgineer, Feb 02 2006 Quakers have a silent hand gesture that shows approval or consensus. It looks like a "screwing in a light bulb" motion, made above the head, twisting your hand back and forth.-- phundug, Feb 02 2006 There's nothing quite like coming on stage and hearing the applause intensify... don't know how you're going to beat that.-- moomintroll, Feb 02 2006 It's all about association. If you grew up in a world where raising your hand high had the same meaning it would feel the same to see a crowd of people raising their hands.-- Worldgineer, Feb 02 2006 Next he’ll want silent laughing. (One vocal cord, please.)-- ldischler, Feb 02 2006 //don't panic if the audience is silent// Pregnant Applause?-- Dub, Feb 02 2006 [ld] I was wondering what to do with the other hand.-- Worldgineer, Feb 02 2006 //arm raised// that would look like everyone's saluting the Furher in a thoroughly non-PC way.-- sninctown, Feb 02 2006 Please keep your palm down. Doing it wrong would certainly be a faux pas, especially after listening to Wagner.-- Worldgineer, Feb 02 2006 With one hand raised and one hand idle, isn't the audience likely to break into a flurry of armpit farts? Phhhtt!-- lintkeeper2, Feb 03 2006 I once read about a group that used a gesture they called "twinkling". I Googled for it, and found this on a Green Party website: Silent applause or "twinkling" -- holding hands up and wiggling fingers -- is a non-interruptive way to show support for what is being said.
Another site had this: Twinkle– Twinkle is a non-verbal sign of agreement or joy expressed by wiggling or “twinkling” your fingers. It stems from the American Sign Language sign for applause though is slightly adapted to just be upward fingers instead of the whole hand.
I found this on a Mensa website: THE CLEVELAND CLAP - Victor Albanese was the MC for the Cleveland AG. At the Friday evening banquet, he started introducing the people at the very long head table. After the first couple of introductions, it became evident it would take just too long to give everyone the accolades they deserved at the time their names were mentioned. It was then asked that there be only one striking of the hands until after the names were presented, then followed by a thunderous round of applause. Thus, "The Cleveland Clap" was born.
Didn't the real hipsters use finger-snapping instead of clapping?-- baconbrain, Feb 03 2006 [Worldgineer] Just read this and perceived it as a brilliant comment on the SOU address.. at least [sninctown] saw it for what it is!.. or am I just wishful thinking?-- ConsulFlaminicus, Feb 03 2006 Sort of like a "Drama-Queen's Wave"?-- xandram, Feb 03 2006 [Consul] I missed the SotU address, but a past one certainly jumped to mind while writing this. I really don't think it'll look like the Nazi salute at all, but maybe [bacon]'s twinkling might be a better idea just to be sure. But we need some method of scale - the equivalent of clapping harder.
Snapping kills the point. It may not be as loud, but it's still noise.-- Worldgineer, Feb 03 2006 Jazz hands. Has to be jazz hands. Visually arresting and intensity-scalable.-- calum, Feb 03 2006 Make it simpler.. just have the one claping clap. Everyone claps once in unison. Then the show can go on.-- Jscotty, Feb 03 2006 if we had a State of the Country Address, we'd all wonder what state the country was in...-- po, Feb 03 2006 Imagine how we feel. There are 50 of the things here.
[Js] I don't like the clap once in unison thing. Nobody will likely clap in unison, there's no way to judge scale, and it becomes obligatory and therefore meaningless.
Now jazz hands I like.-- Worldgineer, Feb 03 2006 all those bright lights of fame shining on you, you'll never see those hands. :( the audience is usually invisible to the performer.-- carpeliam, Feb 07 2006 Great. Then it will seperate the artist from the feedback. Of course, if you're really insecure you could set up a bright TV monitor with a camera aiming at the audience.-- Worldgineer, Feb 07 2006 random, halfbakery