Nancy Young wrote:
> Can anyone tell me why chefs tap their knives
> maybe 3 times on the counter before starting to
> chop whatever? Tyler comes to mind, but a lot
> of tv chefs do that.
>
> Just nosy.
>
> nancy

Martin Yan almost always bangs the side of his knife on the cutting
surface 2-3 times before actually cutting... and then more banging
after the cutting, as if preparing to continue cutting... he even makes
the knife ring out like a musical instrument, probably to psych
himself.

Baseball players do the same, when at bat they tap the plate, and then
even make a few false swats with the bat before the ball is thrown,
some even tap their shoes, many swing 2-3 bats at once before selecting
one... carpenters too (especially framers) will strike the wood before
hammering the nail... gives a feel for the heft of the tool, sets a
cadence, and the vibration limbers the wrist so that the only exertion
is a flick, the weight of the hammer does all the work, requires no
great arm strength... if it did no one could last an hour pounding
nails. Many people who use tools/objects for repetitive tasks do the
same. Didn't you ever watch Ed Norton prepare to play piano/sign his
name? LOL

Sheldon