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While walking on a path, sometimes two people try to dodge each other. One guy steps left, and at the same time, the other guy steps left and then switches direction and so does the other guy. Is there a word to describe this?

Heartspring
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excray
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    perhaps "sidestep" would help ... "they sidestepped around each other." – Fattie Jun 30 '11 at 16:08
  • it sounds like a collision – z7sg Ѫ Jun 30 '11 at 16:09
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    Just to be pedantic; I'm assuming they're walking toward each other or this wouldn't be an issue. If they both take a step to the left, then they've missed each other! If that happens and they still both step back then I'd call it "madness" on both their parts. :) – tjm Jun 30 '11 at 18:11
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    @Vivek you don't happen to by Indian do you? I found when visiting India I was avoidancing with people until i realized people general pass on the sidewalk as they do in their cars. In the USA this on the right and in India the left, once I understood this, it made walking there much easier... – Traveling_Monk Jun 30 '11 at 20:27
  • bool collision = sqrt((x2 - x1) * (x2 - x1) + (y2 - y1) * (y2 - y1)) < (radius1 + radius2) – Mateen Ulhaq Jul 01 '11 at 04:19
  • When this happens with a member of the opposite sex, look them in the eye, bow slightly and say "Thanks for the dance" :) – Binary Worrier Jul 01 '11 at 09:24
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    @BinaryWorrier: For me, this only happens with people of the same sex. I usually notice people of the opposite sex a lot sooner, which disallows me to do this dance unless I would do it on purpose... :) – Tamara Wijsman Jul 01 '11 at 11:47
  • "Avoidancing" was coined for this. – The Raven Dec 07 '11 at 15:54

7 Answers7

36

This is called a droitwich.

From The Meaning of Liff by Douglas Adams and John Lloyd:

DROITWICH (n.) A street dance. The two partners approach from opposite directions and try politely to get out of each other's way. They step to the left, step to the right, apologise, step to the left again, apologise again, bump into each other and repeat as often as unnecessary.

The Meaning of Liff is a humorous work of fiction in which the names of British towns are given alternative meanings. This definition of droitwich also has an entry in urban dictionary along with notable alternatives: the pavement tango and the get-past-you shuffle.

z7sg Ѫ
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    For the avoidance of doubt, The Meaning of Liff is intended to be humorous. The definitions are all made up to go with place-names that sound like they ought to mean something. +1 for making me smile anyway. –  Jun 30 '11 at 16:16
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    One of the urban dictionary entries for droitwich mentions an alternative, too: the pavement tango, which I think should be a close contender. – John Bartholomew Jun 30 '11 at 16:23
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    @John @Rhodri OK.. I have done the responsible thing and edited my answer. – z7sg Ѫ Jun 30 '11 at 16:32
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    This looks like a slang word. – Sid Jun 30 '11 at 22:05
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    -1 for being slang. – AttackingHobo Jun 30 '11 at 22:11
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    @AttackingHobo: I seriously doubt there is a proper word for it anyways... – nico Jul 01 '11 at 06:52
  • Related: see the entire sequence of corridor-related definitions, starting with "Corriearklet", "Corriecravie", etc. http://folk.uio.no/alied/TMoL.html "CORRIEARKLET (n.) The moment at which two people approaching from opposite ends of a long passageway, recognise each other and immediately pretend they haven't. This is to avoid the ghastly embarrassment of having to continue recognising each other the whole length of the corridor." And the next few ones. – ShreevatsaR Dec 07 '11 at 15:43
  • while it's funny to mention a comedy book, it's strange that 37 people voted this up. – Fattie Apr 04 '16 at 14:52
18

One term that was proposed for this is "avoidancing."

The Raven
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There isn't a specific English word for this awkward situation. In the right circumstances it might be a type of physical comedy, but that's not the specific answer you are after, I'm afraid.

3

I've heard it called a "sidewalk gavotte."

Alex
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In certain geek subcultures, it’s referred to as symmetry-breaking; I don’t know how widespread this usage is.

(In more detail: I’ve heard this often among mathematicians and physicists. It wouldn’t be understood completely out of context, since symmetry-breaking is really a technical term for a much more general phenomenon, but it would be understood in a situation like “I met so-and-so in the corridor the other day; we spent about ten seconds symmetry-breaking.” More usually, when you find yourself actually doing this dance, you break the awkwardness by looking up, catching the other’s eye, and muttering “Symmetry-breaking!” with a wry chuckle; this usually helps bring the ritual to an end. Unless, of course, your partner has made this observation at just the same moment…)

PLL
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the sidewalk shuffle:

the awkward dance that results when two people approach each other from opposite directions, each attempts to move out of the other's way, and both end up moving in the same direction. Often followed by further ungainly movement, apologies, and awkward laughter.

[Urban Dictionary]

ziggurism
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P. S. R.

Parallel Synchronized Randomness. "An interesting brain rarity and our subject for today. Two people walk in opposite directions at the same time and then they make the same decision at the same time. Then they correct it, and then they correct it, and then they correct it, and then they correct it, and then they correct it. Basically, in a mathematical world these two little guys will stay looped for the end of time. The brain is the most complex thing in the universe and it's right behind the nose"

  • The Science of Sleep by Michel Gondry
Scroitt Armanzo
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