handshake deals
Unwritten business pacts
Handshake deals are agreements sealed by a handshake rather than a written contract.
The term evokes an older business culture where personal honor and reputation sufficed to bind parties: Back then, handshake deals were the norm in the oil business.
The phrase now often carries nostalgia or skepticism—suggesting either trustworthy simplicity or risky informality depending on context.
- oralOf the mouth
- bargainFavorable purchase price
- honor systemTrust-based compliance without supervision
- agreementShared position between parties
- partnershipShared business arrangement
informal · verbal contract · trust · look in the eye · commitments · pact · quid pro quo · promise · mutual trust · negotiation · word of honor · goodwill · old boys' network · social contract · gentleman's agreement · integrity · contracts · understanding
- honour systemshonor codes, academic integrity, self-reporting, scout's honor, gentleman's agreements
- corruptioncorruption, graft, kickbacks, bribery, bribes
- trust signalscredentials, trustworthiness, reputation, credibility, reliability
- commercetrade, banking, merchant, imports, sales
- shopping termsshopping list, discounts, coupons, receipts, checkout line
- empty promiseslip service, broken vows, false hope, hot air, overpromising
handshake dealswritten contracts
Documented legal obligations
formal contracts · legal agreements · binding contracts · signed agreements · contractual obligations
hand, shake, deal, hands, shakes, deals, handed, handing, handy