high five

[Wilson Gray]

Doug Wilson writes:

"What is ignored by some books (including the Cassell dictionary, at a
glance) is that "Slip me five" and "Give me five" are (or were)
sometimes
just [hip] ways of saying "Shake my hand"; they do not necessarily call
for slapping, stroking, etc. I would guess that these expressions meant
'Shake my hand' in the old-fashioned sedate manner before they meant
'Slap/stroke my palm' or any other variant."

I agree. But, in general, I think, when A says to B, "Shake my hand!"
by word or by gesture, what A is saying to B is, "Congratulate me on my
success and show me that you share my joy!" or "Show me how pleased you
are that you and I share a common bond!" - cf. the secret handshakes
and other gestures common to the various fraternal organizations - and
not simply "Produce the standard gesture." Under such a condition, one
can easily see that there might come a time when the old-fashioned,
standard handshake could begin to be regarded as insufficient to
express the emotions of the moment.

-Wilson Gray