Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss

Did you get ever get / give a "fairy clap?

131 views
Skip to first unread message

fabzorba

unread,
May 9, 2012, 2:56:16 AM5/9/12
to
No, it does not refer to some kind of venereal disease transmitted by
homosexuals.

In Australia, for one, it was an Infants School practice observed when
a class must not disturb surrounding classes by vigorous applause, for
example, when someone does a "Show and Tell". Instead the teacher
institutes the Fairy Clap. Instead of slapping your hands together,
you now have to slap the forefinger of your right hand onto the palm
of your left. And I can tell you, for certain, that the resulting
sound is very much inferior to a round of applause, it is as weedy and
wimpy as you can imagine. Looked it up on google, and it's not there.
So it's a new one. Did any other places have analogous methods of
preventing or minimizing school noise?

Myles [which makes me rem that in Oz we never had "show and tell"
either...] paulsen

Cheryl

unread,
May 9, 2012, 6:55:48 AM5/9/12
to
I never heard of it. Hearing people are sometimes instructed to applaud
like deaf people - waving the hands in the air - but I don't think the
motivation was keeping the noise down.


Wikipedia says there's a 'golf clap' and that in the UK, people now clap
for a minute to pay respect for a dead person instead of observing
a minute's silence.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applause

--
Cheryl

Peter Duncanson (BrE)

unread,
May 9, 2012, 8:13:03 AM5/9/12
to
As that article says, clapping to pay respect for a dead person began at
football grounds.

As the newspaper article referenced [4] by that article says, applause
is claimed by its supporters to be "a legitimate and respectful way of
praising the achievements of the deceased"; "besides, they say, it is a
positive act expressing positive feelings".

Another practical reason for applause rather than silence at a football
ground is that "It needs only one strident voice of interruption to
break the spell. It happens often. The culprit has had a drink, or
supports a team unfriendly to the one holding the tribute, or is simply
a yob. Whatever the reasons, he has the capacity to spoil and destroy
the solemnity of the event".

At a football ground the spectators are there primarily to watch a
football match. Individual spectators have not chosen to be there
specifically to pay respects to a dead person.

[4] http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/sep/12/comment.comment2

--
Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.usage.english)

Mike L

unread,
May 9, 2012, 6:25:33 PM5/9/12
to
We gave an unplanned round of applause at my mother's funeral: it felt
really good. I did have a slight concern, though, that it might have
felt awful to those waiting outside for the next ceremony.

--
Mike.

Robert Bannister

unread,
May 10, 2012, 1:56:29 AM5/10/12
to
On 9/05/12 2:56 PM, fabzorba wrote:
> No, it does not refer to some kind of venereal disease transmitted by
> homosexuals.
>
> In Australia, for one, it was an Infants School practice observed when
> a class must not disturb surrounding classes by vigorous applause, for
> example, when someone does a "Show and Tell". Instead the teacher
> institutes the Fairy Clap. Instead of slapping your hands together,
> you now have to slap the forefinger of your right hand onto the palm
> of your left. And I can tell you, for certain, that the resulting
> sound is very much inferior to a round of applause, it is as weedy and
> wimpy as you can imagine. Looked it up on google, and it's not there.
> So it's a new one. Did any other places have analogous methods of
> preventing or minimizing school noise?

I have seen it done. If you use two fingers, with practice it's amazing
how much noise you can make. Still, I never heard it called that.
>
> Myles [which makes me rem that in Oz we never had "show and tell"
> either...] paulsen

I've a horrid feeling that some schools do have something similar now,
but at the moment I've have no rellies of primary school age.

--
Robert Bannister

Peter Moylan

unread,
May 10, 2012, 7:13:16 AM5/10/12
to
At least two of my children were exposed to it, and they're both adults now.

--
Peter Moylan, Newcastle, NSW, Australia. http://www.pmoylan.org
For an e-mail address, see my web page.

Mike L

unread,
May 11, 2012, 5:12:14 PM5/11/12
to
On Thu, 10 May 2012 21:13:16 +1000, Peter Moylan
<inv...@peter.pmoylan.org.invalid> wrote:

>Robert Bannister wrote:
>> On 9/05/12 2:56 PM, fabzorba wrote:
>
>>> Myles [which makes me rem that in Oz we never had "show and tell"
>>> either...] paulsen
>>
>> I've a horrid feeling that some schools do have something similar now,
>> but at the moment I've have no rellies of primary school age.
>>
>At least two of my children were exposed to it, and they're both adults now.

What on earth is wrong with Show and Tell? I'd be worried about an
early years programme that didn't include such activity.

--
Mike.

James Silverton

unread,
May 11, 2012, 5:17:48 PM5/11/12
to
The subject does not sound very PC in this age; "give a fairy clap"
could be an admission of sexual practices.

--
Jim Silverton (Potomac, MD)

Extraneous "not" in Reply To.

Mike L

unread,
May 11, 2012, 6:32:30 PM5/11/12
to
Oh, sorry, my stupor: I thought people were objecting to "Show and
Tell" sessions, not the insane substitute for hearty applause. The
first time I met that was in a hippy-dippy "spiritual singing" session
where the leader (who presumably called himself the "facilitator" or
worse) said we should indulge in what he called "Tibetan applause" to
avoid disturbing the local spirits.

--
Mike.

Andrew B

unread,
May 11, 2012, 6:50:25 PM5/11/12
to
On 11/05/2012 22:12, Mike L wrote:

> What on earth is wrong with Show and Tell? I'd be worried about an
> early years programme that didn't include such activity.

There was certainly no such thing in my schooling. Sounds like another
way to torture shy children.

tony cooper

unread,
May 11, 2012, 10:48:41 PM5/11/12
to
On Fri, 11 May 2012 23:50:25 +0100, Andrew B <bul...@gmail.com>
wrote:
In my experience, kids love show and tell days. Mine did. They could
bring any object to school and tell their classmates about it. The
problem was making sure the kid didn't take something to school, or
have a story about something, that was embarrassing to the parents.


--
Tony Cooper - Orlando, Florida

Mike L

unread,
May 12, 2012, 3:23:32 PM5/12/12
to
And in any case, a good teacher won't hassle a child who hasn't got a
contribution, or who is too shy. OK, there are some insensitive
teachers; but that's no reason to condemn a good learning activity.

--
Mike.

tony cooper

unread,
May 12, 2012, 4:14:56 PM5/12/12
to
My children weren't coerced into bringing in something. On show and
tell day, the teacher would ask who had something. There was no
assignment to do so. Every Friday was show and tell day.

A kid who brought something, but there wasn't time to get around to
that kid, was usually disappointed.
0 new messages