tried googling it but I only got the idiom and not an actual answer
that’s how W. W. Jacobs decided to call it
This is the technically correct answer as monkeys do have hands. The story is from 1902 and maybe terminology has changed or the author thought it was the right term. Doesn’t matter once it was published.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand
A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered appendage located at the end of the forearm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs.
You have a paw, or palm, of your hand, as well as your feet. Seriously, kids…
You activated the magic by rubbing the palm/paw, not the knuckles. Not the fingers. This just seems so silly to me.
On that note, Tyler Durden and the Narrator were the same person. And Bruce Willis was a ghost. And when Jeff Dunham (sp? don’t like his comedy) is up there with the puppet, he is actually THE ONE SPEAKING, never the puppet.
The more you know. (shooting star)
“Paw” does not mean “palm”. It effectively means “animal forefoot” for furry animals with soft-bottomed round-ish feet.
Etymology. This is silly. Are you not an animal?
Me either. I am a rather fungi.
So silly: do you refer to the palms of your feet? Do you refer to the back paws of a dog? Just dumb.
And you used effectively ineffectively.
Like, what effect are you affecting? You realize the difference between nouns and verbs, right? Because we are discussing nouns.
Just, I don’t know, etymology.
Oh, you sky-intists. You won the smart award for this.
And did you read it? You rub the palm.
(slow clap using my paws…)
Ok, so you know how you have features on your palm that stand out? Like the base of your fingers, the base of your thumb, and the opposing side: That IS your paw.
Are you high?
Are you from another world? You don’t know where your paws are? Jesus on a cracker, you are so damn ignorant.
Do I need to explain that you also have thighs? Not just chickens have them.
Seriously, what the hell do you use for grip? Your paws. This is insane.
Google grip with your paws. OMG, you are going to get your goddamn mind blown.
I know you haven’t worked construction, but you probably should wear a hard hat just in case.
Really cannot fathom why in the world I am having to explain something so fundamental.
You are one of the following:
- A furry
- A troll
- Confidently incorrect
I’m leaning 2, can you help me out?
Paws have claws. Do you have nails or claws on your feet and hands?
Yes… what?
Paws are part of the palm. You grip with them.
I swear, I want to shake the hands of all of the dorks so they can feel their fucking paws.
Paws are the entire structure. It’s not one side of an appendage.
You have to be just trolling. My entire cat’s foot isn’t a paw. Each foot or hand has multiple paws.
I think I am just talking to little kids.
Your cat’s entire foot is a paw
The word you seem to be getting confused is “pad”
Paw pad. The pad of the paw.
If you’re cute and fuzzy, it’s a paw.
If you’re big, tailless, and (mostly) hairless (read:ape), it’s a hand. Wikipedia refers to upper gorilla extremities as arms and hands:
A 2018 study investigating the hand posture of 77 mountain gorillas[…]
I have no actual idea but that’s my general guess.
Dwarves have paws, elves have hands
No. You have paws on your hands. Look at your hand. Grip it with your paws: common expression.
See the dip in the middle of your palm? See how there are little mountains around it? THOSE ARE YOUR PAWS.
Sir, it seems the furries have broken containment
Though I wouldn’t claim it to be an objective truth, my wife has previously declared me both cute and fuzzy.
Though I may have (consensually) pawed at her on occasion, she’s never claimed that I have paws.
Speciesism.
the correct answer.
there’s no legitimate reason. but the only realistic reason is human supremacism.
Because the term pre-existed Darwinism.
My theory: Its that way because humans tend(ed) to describe themselves as special “players” for a long time till this day and beyond. Probably the concept of religion, philosophy and some sciences are also in part responsible for this. When referring to nature, life or species in daily conversations it seems to be rather common for humans to mention humans isolated from the fauna (and flora (and fungus)).
Maybe try looking up paw more generally. Merriam Webster seems to think it can be used to describe any animal foot, or human hands (albeit with some baggage), or as a verb for rough contact.
For further uses outside of explicitly furry animal feet, a few more come to mind: southpaw, (left handed baseball player), catspaw (knot/hammer/chuck), and chicken paw (chicken foot, usually in the context of food).
In terms of the specific expression you’re asking about, it’s from a work of fiction. If evocative language serves your story better, even if it doesn’t fit as well by literal meaning, that’s reason enough to use it. In this story paw may have better communicated crudeness than hand would’ve. Or maybe the author thought paw better drew out the parallels with a lucky rabbit’s foot. Ultimately, why it was chosen doesn’t really matter, the imagery was powerful enough that we’re still talking about the story.
Finally someone asking the important questions
Humans have hands. Humans arent monkeys (according to idiots). Monkeys are animals, but less than human. Lesser beings have paws. According to idiots.
