Dap is a form of handshake

Handshake

A handshake is a short ritual in which two people grasp one of each other's like hands, in most cases accompanied by a brief up and down movement of the grasped hands.-History:...

 and friendly gesture

Gesture

A gesture is a form of non-verbal communication in which visible bodily actions communicate particular messages, either in place of speech or together and in parallel with spoken words. Gestures include movement of the hands, face, or other parts of the body...

 that has recently become popular in western cultures.

Overview

It is often confused with

Malapropism

A malapropism is an act of misusing or the habitual misuse of similar sounding words, especially with humorous results. An example is Yogi Berra's statement: "Texas has a lot of electrical votes," rather than "electoral votes".-Etymology:...

 the word "tap

Tap

-Mechanical and electrical:* Tap , a device for controlling the release of a liquid or gas* Tap , part of an electrical device* A cutting tool, part of a tap and die set-Entertainment:* Tap dance...

". Often used in cricket for "touching the gloves", and when referring to fist bump. It is a ritualized but common form of agreement between two or more people who offer this casual physical contact as an affirmation, congratulations, or other type of agreement with an action, clever phrase, sports event, or when admiring an attractive female or male.

Origins

The term dap may have originated as an acronym for dignity and pride, or may have been backronym

Backronym

A backronym or bacronym is a phrase constructed purposely, such that an acronym can be formed to a specific desired word. Backronyms may be invented with serious or humorous intent, or may be a type of false or folk etymology....

ed. According to one legend, it was introduced to and popularly used by African-American soldiers by Marine Captain John Dapolito during the Vietnam War

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...

. It appears to have been introduced to Western culture through film. For example, the 1936 movie Tarzan Escapes

Tarzan Escapes

Tarzan Escapes is a 1936 Tarzan film based on the character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. It was the third in the MGM Tarzan series to feature Johnny Weissmuller as the "King of the Apes".-Plot:...

depicts the gesture.

Form

Though it can refer to many kinds of greetings involving hand contact, dap is best known as a complicated routine of shakes, slaps, snaps, and other contact that must be known completely by both parties involved. Dap greeting sometimes include a pound hug

Pound hug

A stylized greeting, exclusively performed between two people, the pound hug consists of a combination of a handshake and one-armed hug...

.

Current interest

The dap has recently gained widespread attention when a fist bump took place between Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

 and his wife

Michelle Obama

Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States...

 before his presidential nomination victory speech, resulting in a number of press articles explaining this custom.

Variants

There are many variants of complicated hand-shake gestures.

• The "Lock and fly" is used in the West Indies and Caribbean Islands and popular among the Rasta
  Rastafari movement
  The Rastafari movement or Rasta is a new religious movement that arose in the 1930s in Jamaica, which at the time was a country with a predominantly Christian culture where 98% of the people were the black descendants of slaves. Its adherents worship Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia , as God...
  
  community. It consists of two movements: a full flat-palm grasping of a partner's hand followed by sliding of the palms in a forward motion finally finishing with a flexion and extension of the fingers.

External links

• Video of dap greetings