21 Problems Only Friends Fans Will Understand

19. Having To Drop Everything To Do The Hand-Clap

NBC

Of course, while the lyrics are an important part of the opening song, they aren't the key part. That honour belongs to the hand-claps, coming just after the "so no one told you life was gonna be this way" line (hands up how many sang that rather than reading it, and at least mentally clapped... just me?).

There's a variety of things you might be doing while watching Friends: you could be eating dinner, drinking a cup of tea, reading a book, doing the ironing and so on. Whatever it is, you stop it for the hand-clap. Drop your knife and fork, risk spilling a hot beverage over yourself, lose your page, burn yourself or your clothes, just do what it takes to get those claps in.

Also, on a final note, it's four claps. There are some crazy people who happen to think it's five, or even three. It's not. It's four. Clap, clap, clap, clap.

Contributor
Contributor

NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.