Self-clasping handshake

A self-clasping handshake is a gesture in which one hand is grasped by the other and held together in front of the body or over the head. In the United States, this gesture is a sign of victory, being made by the winning boxer at the end of a fight.^[1] Leaders of the Soviet Union, such as Nikita Khrushchev, used the gesture to symbolise friendship when visiting the United States, and so risked misunderstanding.^[2]

Ronald and Nancy Reagan in the president's first inauguration parade in 1981

References

1. William Safire (November 10, 1985), "The Self-Clasping Squeeze", New York Times
2. Betty Jane Punnett (2012), International Perspectives on Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management, M.E. Sharpe, p. 199, ISBN 9780765631107