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What's the correct way to refer to the action of one opening their arms wide to offer a hug?

I've been thinking about "hug request", "hug proposal" and "hug offer" but none of these seem quite correct.

Context: I believe I've misunderstood a person's physical expression, thinking it was more of a shrug than a (the word/phrase I'm looking for), and I'd like to apologize for that.

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    Open arms -- The idiom open arms also has a very positive sense of welcoming/ receiving with warmth, kindness, pleasure, happiness, enthusiasm and without reservations, all which an embrace is symbolic of.
    – Kris
    May 18, 2014 at 14:32
  • Seems like what you’ve got there is already good enough. But opinions may vary.
    – tchrist ♦
    May 18, 2014 at 20:03
  • @tchrist Yes, I've already solved this issue a couple hours ago, didn't mark any answer as accepted until now in order to don't discourage other answerers -- that is, keeping this question in the "acive" list for a while longer. I've accepted an answer now.
    – Fabrício Matté
    May 18, 2014 at 20:11
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    @Fabrício Matté - An obscure animated twist would be to incorporate the TV-Trope "meadowrun" - "I apologize. I thought your shrug was going to be a meadowrun."
    – ipso
    May 18, 2014 at 20:31
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    @ipso heh, maybe a bit too obscure, but very nice to know about, thanks!
    – Fabrício Matté
    May 18, 2014 at 21:05

4 Answers 4

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"Arms wide open" is a common phrase.

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  • Thanks, that makes sense. But it also has the meaning of "being welcoming" depending on the context, right?
    – Fabrício Matté
    May 18, 2014 at 14:23
  • I guess that's because people usually welcome with a hug!
    – Mou某
    May 18, 2014 at 14:24
  • Also common with the shrug as OP already noted.
    – Kris
    May 18, 2014 at 14:25
  • Heh, makes sense. +1 for your help, I'll leave the question for a bit more of time to give others a chance to answer as well. I'll try to fit it in a phrase meanwhile in a way that it doesn't get ambiguous as @Kris mentioned.
    – Fabrício Matté
    May 18, 2014 at 14:26
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I believe I've misunderstood a person's physical expression, thinking it was more of a shrug than an invite for a hug, and I'd like to apologize for that.

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  • Looks great! Thanks for the help. Too bad I can only mark one answer as accepted.
    – Fabrício Matté
    May 18, 2014 at 20:09
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    @FabrícioMatté Não tem problema, fique a vontade. :-)
    – Elian
    May 18, 2014 at 20:20
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Yes it is my own made up slang but I would call this process hug-baiting. And people would understand.

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  • "hug-baiting" sounds perfect for casual situations, thanks!
    – Fabrício Matté
    May 19, 2014 at 11:07
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Brachiation is the process of branching out, process of putting forth arms but it is associated with locomotion or swinging from tree to tree, and not the action of opening, or to open arms: an eager or warm welcome (New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.)

I found one use for the action of "opening their arms wide to offer a hug" under the word 'open' listed as:

Spread ; expanded. He received his son with open arms -An American dictionary of the English language; ... . Webster, Noah, 1758-1843.

but I suspect there may be a derivation from the many synonyms for the word 'hug', or the desire to do the action:

Clip: To hug or embrace -A classical dictionary of the vulgar tongue. . Grose, Francis, 1731?-1791.

Halch: To hug

Cingulomania: In a male, a strong desire to hold a girl in one's arms. A term possibly coined by J.E. Schmidt for the Lecher's Lexicon (1967).

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