Vocabularians!!!! Do... words... for me.

[inexorabletruth]

Google can't help me... I tried for hours. I need a human thesaurus to help me with a word.

What do you call this gesture:

Making a fist with one hand and an open palm with the other, then punching the open palm with your fist in a show of aggression or readiness to fight. The implication is that the palm is an example of what you wish to do to an opponent's face.

In forms of video entertainment (usually action films or anime) this gesture is often accompany by an ominous low laugh, or a steely menacing glare.

[rooster707]

My 14-year-old sister says “menacing handpunch.”

Personally, I have no idea.

[An Enemy Spy]

I don't think that gesture actually has a name but I would call it fistpalming.

[Peelee]

I don't think that gesture actually has a name

Agreed. I wouldn't ever really think to describe it unless I was describing someone doing it, though, so I'd just say "guy was pounding his fist into his palm."

[inexorabletruth]

Well, if the consensus is that there is no word for it, then so far I like "menacing handpunch" the most. I can't figure out why, but "fistpalming" makes me giggle, which takes some of the teeth out of the expression.

[Ebon_Drake]

I know it's not what you meant, but when I started reading this I was picturing the typical Kung Fu salute of an open palm covering a closed fist. If you're curious (like I was) a bit of googling suggests that's called a Bao Quan.

For a somewhat schlocky film, the Mortal Kombat movie did something interesting in the fight between Liu Kang and Shang Tsung. Liu Kang gives the regular salute, but Tsung inverts it by having the closed fist over the open palm which twists the meaning of the gesture. It's a pretty cool little character bit.

[inexorabletruth]

You see, it's clips like that which make me want to play monk again.

Also, that's pretty close, and weirdly menacing, but it's not quite a punch. But if China (?) Has a name for that gesture, then maybe they have a name for the gesture to which I am referring.

[Xuc Xac]

I know it's not what you meant, but when I started reading this I was picturing the typical Kung Fu salute of an open palm covering a closed fist. If you're curious (like I was) a bit of googling suggests that's called a Bao Quan.

抱拳

It's a description, not a name. It just means "cover fist". It's also the term for a boxing glove.

[Sinewmire]

Well, if the consensus is that there is no word for it, then so far I like "menacing handpunch" the most. I can't figure out why, but "fistpalming" makes me giggle, which takes some of the teeth out of the expression.

I concur, I've generally seen it written as "he smacked his fist into his palm a few times, accompanying his motion with a low, ominous chuckle. 'Here's what we think of people who say 'I could care less' around HERE, tough guy!' "

I too, like menacing handpunch. I may adopt it for future use.

[Razade]

It actually does have a term. It's called "thumping".

[Cespenar]

I've read descriptions before that simply went along the lines of "he punched his palm".

[Brother Oni]

Further to Xuc Xac's comments, I was told there was a meaning to it - willingness to fight (the fist) but peaceful intentions (the covering palm).

Note that there are different variants: with the forearms horizontal to the ground and right fist in left palm is THE kung-fu salute and can be interpreted as a martial challenge (ie not done in polite or modern society unless you're training/competing/taking the piss).

Spoiler: Salute

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If the forearms are near vertical and/or the palm is clasped around the fist, it's normally a greeting, although somewhat old fashioned as I understand it.

Spoiler: Hello!

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[inexorabletruth]

It actually does have a term. It's called "thumping".

I believe that more accurately describes the act of hitting something with a fist or blunt object, but doesn't intrinsically require that object to be your own opposite palm. I went ahead and looked up the definition of it, just to see if it derives from that specific meaning archaically, and it doesn't. But I might be looking at an American translation. Do you have a reference from a different cultural posterity?

[Lvl 2 Expert]

I've read descriptions before that simply went along the lines of "he punched his palm".

Punching palms/palm punching sounds about right. That could be a term if we start using it.

Fistpalming just sounds dirty somehow.

[KillingAScarab]

I can't help but notice you're describing the exact thing Burt Ward did all the time when he played Robin on the 1966 Batman live action series. Yet, the words "ominous" and "menacing" are involved?

[Peelee]

I can't help but notice you're describing the exact thing Burt Ward did all the time when he played Robin on the 1966 Batman live action series. Yet, the words "ominous" and "menacing" are involved?

Burt Ward made the feature a single time when he did it; there was no repetition, which makes it more menacing. Also, he today did it to emphasise a point or to emphasise that he made a realization, not with a growl, or angry expression. We're talking about body language, so context clues are vital.

[Scarlet Knight]

How about " paper covers rock" ?