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People don’t usually think of touch as a temporal phenomenon, but it is every bit as time-based as it is spatial. You can carry out an experiment to see for yourself. Ask a friend to cup his hand, palm face up, and close his eyes. Place a small ordinary object in his palm ― a ring, an eraser, anything will do ― and ask him to identify it without moving any part of his hand.

One idea: palm face(two word noun) + being(present participle) + up => palm face (being) up

Another idea: palm(noun) + face up(adverb) => palm face up = with his palm faced up

Research

Adverb face-up (not comparable)

In a position with the face upwards. The cards must be dealt faceup(sic)

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/face-up

gomadeng
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    Why is face involved here? The palm is part of the hand, not the head. Simply saying palm up is sufficient; it's the opposite of palm down, and that's the idea. – John Lawler Jan 04 '21 at 21:44
  • I think it's because the writer wanted to emphasize "your palm should face up". – gomadeng Jan 04 '21 at 21:49
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    Wouldn't 'palm facing up' be better? – Michael Harvey Jan 04 '21 at 22:08
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    But pragmatically, when I tell someone, “Close your eyes and hold out your hands” they never have their palms facing down. – Jim Jan 04 '21 at 22:11
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    That's because that phrase is an invitation to receive a treat in your hand, so the palm is up, ready to receive it. Not "facing up", but just up. Palms don't have a face. If you want them to put their palms down, say Close your eyes and hold out your hands, palms down. – John Lawler Jan 04 '21 at 22:22
  • "an invitation to receive a treat in your hand" It's a jolly jape to put a slightly warm sausage in someones' hand. – Michael Harvey Jan 04 '21 at 22:45
  • What about just "palm being up"? – gomadeng Jan 05 '21 at 07:43

1 Answers1

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The correct understanding is palm face up.

FeliniusRex - gone
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