Clap and a Half

The Clap and a Half is a celebratory ritual used by Team Theorist and the Theorist community, that started on GTLive. It involves the participant doing one single clap, then bringing their hands in again for a second clap but stopping before the hands touch (thus, one clap and a half clap). It originated from MatPat's childhood and is appropriated from one of his middle school teachers. Over the years the Clap and a Half has evolved from a simple gesture of appreciation to a rite of passage and a personal goal for Theorists and content creators who have grown up watching GTLive. 
== First Appearance ==
The Clap and a Half first appeared on September 16, 2015, in the GTLive episode, MatPat vs YOUR Mario Maker Levels!GTLive: MatPat vs YOUR Mario Maker Levels!, posted Sep 16 2015. Clap and a Half discussion starts at 1:47:15. . MatPat explained that one of his 7th grade social studies teacher used the Clap and Half to award students in her class. In MatPat's first day of class, the teacher assigned a group project and explained that there would be an award for the best project at the end of the period. MatPat's team worked hard and earned the teacher's approval, but their reward for all this work was a "Clap and a Half".The LORE of MatPat! | The GTLive Iceberg Explained-GTLive, Apr 29, 2022 This disappointing experience became a core memory for MatPat. He originally brought the Clap and a Half story up during a particularly grueling level of Mario Maker, to express his disappointment in his performance. However, the chat for the stream immediately adopted the gesture, using emojis to express their support of MatPat.
== Notable Appearances ==
== Trivia ==
* The teacher who originated the Clap and a Half is MatPat's most infamous teacher. The teacher failed to learn MatPat's first name, calling him Patrick, docked his work because he 'overachieved' and did 'too much', and threw an overhead projector at his classmates.
== References ==
Category:GTLive