Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[RedRose]

I,ve watched Friends for 2 years, again and again, throught and through.There are some expressions in Friends I don't get, such as High-five.

In this sitcom, when two people are cheering or hugging for some happy news, they "high-five"....

My question is: what dose high-five mean? is it a noun or a verb? and could you give me a few examples?

Thanks in advance.

[CP]

A high five is what you call it when two people slap palms together, usually above the head. It's a way to congratulate someone, kind of a quck handshake that doesn't get in the way in the middle of a game or a hug.

You do something good, or your friend does something good, and then one says to the other, "High five!" Then you slap hands, usually right palm to right palm.

You can also have a low five, where you slap hands around the knee area.
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You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb

[RedRose]

Thanks, dear teacher CP.

so five mean five fingers in this case.

[Bob S.]

[CP]

I couldn't possibly be old enough to remember this, so let's just say my grandparents told me that in the 1950s and 1960s in the U.S., if you were too cool to shake hands the normal way but still wanted to accomplish the same thing, you would say, "Gimme five [Give me five]," and put your hand out as though to shake.

But instead of shaking hands, both people would just keep their hands flat, touch them palm to palm, then slide their hands straight back toward themselves. Anyone who didn't give you five the right way, but tried to shake hands instead, proved what a square he was. What a dork!

And instead of saying, "Gimme five," you could say, "Gimme some skin," but still "shake" the same palm-sliding way.

So it's just natural that plain old five turned into high five, low five, bumpting fists, bashing forearms, and grabbing and snapping each other's fingers.

Try saying, "Gimme five" or "Gimme some skin" to someone over 40 and see what happens. Don't forget to put out your hand, all fingers straight out and together.
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You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb