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[Instigator]

What do you do when you first meet a female? Do you kiss their hand? Shake their hand?
I'm from Europe, so I'm used to doing the cheek kisses everytime I meet females or see female family. But whenever I meet an American female here, either I shake their hand and introduce myself, or just introduce myself. But I feel awkward as hell. What's the right way?

Not all countries in Europe kiss each other on a first meeting. Where are you from exactly?

 

[Mr. E. Yis]

Not all countries in Europe kiss each other on a first meeting. Where are you from exactly?

Portugal

 

[Blackace]

YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO RUB THEIR KNEES, FURIOUSLY.

Tsk.

The rev. Ackbar says "It's a trap!"

 

[Desperado]

I hate when i just want to do a normal handshake with a guy and he fuckin tries to go all out with the cool handshake shit. fuck you high school for popularizing this..

 

[Fuzzy]

I'm of Portuguese decent, I hold her hand while I give her a kiss on the cheek.

 

[demon]

I hate when i just want to do a normal handshake with a guy and he fuckin tries to go all out with the cool handshake shit. fuck you high school for popularizing this..

Oh god I fucking HATE that. And I feel like a doofus because I don't know what kind of cool/street handshake he's trying on me, and the whole thing just ends akwardly. What the fuck do you do in those situations?

 

[Loki]

Oh god I fucking HATE that. And I feel like a doofus because I don't know what kind of cool/street handshake he's trying on me, and the whole thing just ends akwardly. What the fuck do you do in those situations?

What's worse are the insecure guys who try to "assert their masculinity" by intentionally grabbing your extended hand up by the fingers-- in essence shaking your fingers instead of your hand. They usually know what they're doing, and it's quite annoying as far as it goes.


EDIT: Btw, J2Cool and Soc, I generally adhere to the "one pump plus head nod w/eye contact rule" for handshakes; I've found that it serves me pretty well.

 

[Dan]

Oh god I fucking HATE that. And I feel like a doofus because I don't know what kind of cool/street handshake he's trying on me, and the whole thing just ends akwardly. What the fuck do you do in those situations?

Beat him to the punch and try your own funky handshake.

I'll do the handshake if offered, otherwise just a nod or something. I don't really find it awkward in and of itself. My problem's more with the fact that I've got this horrible social anxiety and unless I'm really comfortable with the people I'm around (and often even then) I'll start sweating, and nothing sucks more than a damp handshake. *sigh*

 

[Papi]

Depends how drunk you are.

 

[Angst]

I absolutely hates it when I shake someones hand and they go all limp. It feels like I'm shaking a dead fish and gives me a really unfavorable impression. That said, it doesn't have to be the blacksmith-hand-crush-handshake either. Just firm.

 

[Alyssa Hu$tle]

I hate when i just want to do a normal handshake with a guy and he fuckin tries to go all out with the cool handshake shit. fuck you high school for popularizing this..

I know the kind of handshakes you are talking about. The handshake I refer to is not like that. Actually, it was a guy in a suit who used it on me for the first time, and he never broke eye contact with me the entire time, and gave me a beautiful smile as he said “very pleased to meet you”.

It was charming as hell..

 

[Cauliflower of Love]

Hand her a mop and a pan.

 

[Diomedeskun]

I'm Puerto Rican by birth (I live in Georgia), and I always greet hispanic women who are family or friends with a single kiss on the cheek. The same applies to most older family friends who are not hispanic, but younger non-hispanic female friends I hug.

When introducing myself to a woman, I shake hands (unless she turns her cheek for a kiss) with a solid grip, but I don't squeeze like I would for a man.

Most hispanic women who are introducing themselves extend a hand, but when a mutual friend introduces them, they usually offer their cheek.