History Main / HandRubbing

* In ''Safety Last!,'' Harold Lloyd is in a jewelry shop, fretting over a selection of engagement rings under the watchful eye of a Jewish jeweler, who is rubbing his hands together. Distressed by his indecision, Lloyd absent-mindedly starts to mimic the shop-owner's hand rubbing.

There is an eerie specificity in fiction to reserve this gesture for SmugSnake type villains. [[HonestJohnsDealership Used car salesmen]], lower-end {{Corrupt Corporate Executive}}s and the DastardlyWhiplash will gleefully rub their hands when things are going their way, but a true MagnificentBastard always opts to [[FingerTenting clasp his hands]] instead. In a [[DeadHorseTrope bygone age]] it was also the signature habit of the GreedyJew. Even when otherwise positive characters do this, there's nearly always a sinister undercurrent.

There is an eerie specificity in fiction to reserve this gesture for SmugSnake type villains. [[HonestJohnsDealership Used car salesmen]], lower-end {{Corrupt Corporate Executive}}s and the DastardlyWhiplash will gleefully rub their hands when things are going their way, but a true MagnificentBastard always opts to [[FingerTenting clasp his hands]] instead. Even when otherwise positive characters do this, there's nearly always a sinister undercurrent.

* 1973/74 ''{{WesternAnimation/Superfriends}}''
** Episode "The Androids". Dr. Rebos does this after he captures Superman using artificial kryptonite.
** Episode "The Balloon People". Dr. Noah Tall does it when he thinks he's about to capture the title characters.

Hand Rubbing is the act of rubbing the palms of your hands together. The friction of the gesture can be used to provide heat in a cold environment, or it can simply convey excitation or expectation. TheOtherWiki has a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand-rubbing whole article]] on the subject, but here, we will focus on rubbing hands as a trope.

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-> ''The best thing about alcohol hand gel in hospitals isn't the hygiene, but that everyone walks around like they're hatching a dastardly plan.''

* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' - "...and suddenly the captain is rubbing his hands together and affirming that "We're not pirates. He didn't count."

* In ''DCUniverseOnline'', as the base of operations for players are released, there is a special message for villains.

-->-- '''Katie''', ''{{Facebook}}'' comment

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* Mr. Burns does this on occasion in ''TheSimpsons''. WordOfGod is that this is supposed to be like a praying mantis.
* 1973/74 ''SuperFriends''

* This is a habit of the CIA mole in SplinterCell due to having OCD.

* {{Asterix}} villain Tullius Destructivus (In English, Tortuous Convolvulus), pictured at right, had a habit of this.
* {{Garfield}} had a strip where Odie is plotting something, as evidenced by his HandRubbing. Garfield then clarifies that he's plotting to rub his hands together.

* This is a [[habit CharacterTics]] of the CIA mole in SplinterCell due to having OCD.

* PhilFoglio's ''ComicStrip/WhatsNewWithPhilAndDixie'' comic. In ''Magazine/{{Dragon}}'' magazine #53 (September 1981), Phil shows us how it's done [[http://www.airshipentertainment.com/growfcomic.php?date=20070204 in panel #4]].

HandRubbing is the act of rubbing the palms of your hands together. The friction of the gesture can be used to provide heat in a cold environment, or it can simply convey excitation or expectation. TheOtherWiki has a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand-rubbing whole article]] on the subject, but here, we will focus on rubbing hands as a trope.

-> ''the best thing about alcohol hand gel in hospitals isn't the hygiene, but that everyone walks around like they're hatching a dastardly plan.''

* {{Asterix}} villain Tullius Destructivus (In English, Tortuous Convolvulus) had a habit of this.

There is an eerie specificity in fiction to reserve this gesture for SmugSnake type villains. [[HonestJohnsDealership Used car salesmen]], lower-end {{Corrupt Corporate Executive}}s and the DastardlyWhiplash will gleefully rub their hands when things are going their way, but a true MagnificentBastard always opts to [[ClaspYourHandsIfYouDeceive clasp his hands]] instead. Even when otherwise positive characters do this, there's nearly always a sinister undercurrent.

* ''Literature/HoratioHornblower'': Bush is rubbing his hands together when he's pleased.

* As depicted in the trope image, this is Frank Sahwit's default sprite in ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney''.
** Also Colias Palaeno from the last case of ''VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigations'', although he isn't an evil character.

[[quoteright:260:[[ComicBook/{{Asterix}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/destructivus_1343.jpg]]]]