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What is Beatnik applause?
A form of applause whereby the middle finger and thumb of both hands are repeatedly snapped/clicked instead of clapped. Beatnik applause was developed in the cafes of the 1950s/1960s by the Beatnik/Beat Generation. Many "Beat Poet" fans of this period now suffer from severe arthritic inflammation of the thumb and middle finger.
POET: "The room suddenly went into a mad darkness. A spotlight pierced blackness like a white devil's knife. A voice rose and screamed. Words of beauty cutting my throat. A poem of life, of love, of doom. My years on Earth summed and fooled."
CROWD: Beatnik Applause