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one hand clapping 

A reference to a zen koan, worn threadbare and meaningless by endless repetition in the media. It has no 'answer' unless, as in definition (1) above, the answerer redefines the term 'clapping', thus entirely missing the point.
Teacher: "What is the sound of one hand clapping?"

Student: "Um, the snapping of fingers?"

Teacher: (whacks student with computer keyboard)

one hand clapping 

The sound of one hand clapping is the sound of one hand closing quickly.
The sound of one hand clapping is supposed to be a question with no answer. It is a clasic Zen koan given to students to aid in enlightenment by leading the mind into a cul-de-sac with no way out but enlightenment. How enlightened could the person who came up with this koan be, considering it has such an obvious and simple answer?
one hand clapping by fred ressler August 20, 2007

One hand clapping 

Fundamental lore of Zen Buddhism; know as the Kōan traditional. In the west formally termed onanism or colloquially: ‘throttling the purple headed yogurt slinger’. This is the sound of skin slamming skin as “mediation” reaches the point of enlightenment.
“Ekaku what are you doing in the bathroom”

“Nothing”

“If you’re doing nothing, why can half the building hear the sound of one hand clapping? I swear if you’ve ruined another one of my Grattan catalogues with your man milk I promise you this is the last time Madame palmer's five daughters are coming 'round to play.”
One hand clapping by Filthclub July 10, 2010

One hand clapping 

Knowing something before it occurs.
I knew we were going to win because I could already hear the sound of one hand clapping.
One hand clapping by Oingooboingo January 29, 2023

Summer Teeth 

When someone has a lot of missing teeth.
Mannn, that dude has summer teeth!
What do you mean?
Summer here, summer there...
Summer Teeth by BeckPot August 2, 2012
Word of the Day on May 24, 2026
The grindset is a contemporary ideology of self-exploitation disguised as strength, deeply tied to the aesthetics of the “sigma male” and to new digital forms of patriarchy. It promotes the idea that human worth depends on productivity, economic success, absolute emotional control, and the ability to work endlessly, turning vulnerability, rest, community, and tenderness into signs of weakness. Beneath its rhetoric of discipline and power often lies a profound inability to relate healthily to pain, fragility, and human interdependence.
“That’s the grindset, brother. While weak men sleep and complain, sigma males stay disciplined, work in silence, suppress emotions, and build power while everyone else wastes time chasing comfort.”
Grindset by Omega-Male May 22, 2026
Word of the Day on May 23, 2026