glad hands

Meanings

1. 1nounpluralinformaldisapproving

   Warm, friendly greetings, such as handshakes, given to many people, often to win their support.

   Grammar: Often used with give or offer: politicians offer glad hands.

   Patterns

   • offer glad hands to someone
   • give someone the glad hand

   The candidate spent the day offering glad hands to voters.

   He is all glad hands and smiles at fundraisers.

   Her glad hands at the party felt rehearsed.

2. 2nounpluraltechnicalAmerican

   The coupling devices that connect the air brake hoses between a truck and its trailer.

   Grammar: A technical term in American trucking, usually plural.

   Patterns

   • connect the glad hands

   The driver checked that the glad hands were locked.

   Dirty glad hands can leak air and affect the brakes.

   He connected the glad hands before leaving the depot.

Word forms

Common combinations

all glad hands

The mayor was all glad hands at the opening.

offer the glad hand

She offered the glad hand to every donor.

glad hands and smiles

The event was full of glad hands and smiles.

connect the glad hands

Trainees learn how to connect the glad hands safely.

Synonyms and how they differ

handshakes

Handshakes are neutral gestures, while glad hands imply a showy greeting meant to win favor.

schmoozing

Schmoozing is chatting to gain advantage and covers speech as well as greetings.

backslapping

Backslapping stresses loud, overly friendly behavior and is more openly mocking.

Opposites

Word family

glad-hand verb

to greet people warmly to gain favor

glad-hander noun

a person who greets many people in this way

glad adjective

pleased or happy

Commonly confused: glad hands or glad rags?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “glad hands”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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