Knee-slapping

[Originally published at the now defunct group blog explananda.com]

I occasionally see it claimed, absurdly, that I’m the only human being who actually slaps his knee when he laughs. This is untrue. Knee-slapping actually runs in my family, and when my brother, father and I are feeling jolly we occasionally break out spontaneously into a knee-slapping fun-fest. In marrying Yoon I have also done as much as I could to ensure that any offspring we produce, should we produce offspring, are knee-slappers, since Yoon is at least as much a knee-slapper as I am. It’s especially easy to observe this if you tell her a poo-poo-pee-pee joke and then stand back a few feet. The typical result is not just knee-slapping, but finger-snapping too thrown in as an added bonus.

Comments

Author: Spaz
Date: 2008-04-17

The knee slap runs strong in your family. Pass on what you have learned

Author: Chris
Date: 2008-04-17

Oh believe me, I intend to.

Author: DC
Date: 2008-04-17

Oh I kneeslap every now and again I think, but only when sitting. You don’t do stand-up knee-slap, do you? Unconscionable!

Author: DC
Date: 2008-04-17

And i take it we really mean thigh-slap? Knee-slapping sounds sore and dangerous.

Author: Kegri
Date: 2008-04-17

i can’t believe rj didn’t invite me to his wedding. after all we’ve been through together!

Author: Spaz
Date: 2008-04-17

Oh Kegri, don’t be like that.

It’s the red-faced, fallen on the ground, lying on your side and slapping your knee laughter that is a little over the top.

Author: Anne
Date: 2008-04-17

I’m picturing Chris and Yoon trapped in an escalating knee-slap chain-reaction until some terrified music student knocks on the door days later and finds them, exhausted and dehydrated, still feebly gesturing at their knees.

Author: Spaz
Date: 2008-04-25

Certainly the Olive Loaf Vigilante inspired such laughter, but I don’t know if Yoon would fall (literally) for such juvenilia .