A handshake can communicate much more than a simple greeting, and one particular gesture has carried a suggestive meaning in some cultures for generations. When a man deliberately scratches or lightly rubs the inside of a woman’s palm while holding her hand, the movement can be subtle enough that nobody else nearby even notices it.

In certain social traditions, scratching someone’s palm has been used as a discreet sign of romantic or sexual interest. Instead of openly expressing attraction, the person uses the brief movement to suggest that he is interested in becoming more intimate or wants to know whether the attraction is mutual.

Context makes an enormous difference, however. An accidental movement during a handshake doesn’t necessarily communicate anything. The gesture is more likely to be interpreted as intentional when the scratching is obvious, repeated, accompanied by prolonged eye contact, or combined with other flirtatious behavior.

Its meaning also varies considerably between cultures and generations. In some communities, people immediately recognize palm scratching as flirtation, while elsewhere the gesture has no established meaning whatsoever. Someone unfamiliar with the custom might simply find it strange or assume the movement happened accidentally.

So when a man intentionally scratches a woman’s palm during a handshake, it can be a quiet way of signaling attraction or intimate interest. It isn’t a universal secret code, though, and the other person’s reaction shouldn’t be treated as consent to anything further. Ultimately, the clearest way to understand someone’s intentions is through direct communication.