Left Handers day 2024!

Albus_Scope

Did you know that only 10% of the human population is left handed?

In ye olde days, many left handers were accused of witchcraft, even the word "sinister" is an adaptation of the Latin word for "left. In French, "gauche" can mean "left" or "clumsy". In English the word 'left' comes from the Anglo-Saxon word 'lyft', meaning 'weak'. "Right" also means "to be right". So we really do get a bad rap!

Yes, even Bart Simpson is left handed!

Though we do have a fair few famous left handers, from Justin Bieber to Lady Gaga, Winston Churchill to Barack Obama, lefties are thought to have oddly wired brains thanks to us having to do things differently all the time. Lefties are supposed to be more creative and are often thought to be good musicians.

Chris McManus, from University College London, author of the book Right Hand, Left Hand says:

"If you are left-handed you might find yourself with a slightly unusual way your brain is organised and suddenly that gives you skills that other people don't have."

Scientists are still fighting over theories of why left handers happen, but one theory is down to competition and cooperation. Though we're a cooperative species, left handers would have "the upper hand" in things like fighting, which is actually shown in the stats of one in five boxers being left handed. It also explains why I'm terrible at golf. 😉

Animals also have left handers, with 90% of parrots being left footed and kangaroos always favoring their left paws when it comes to cleaning and eating.

So there's some silly facts about left handers. If you have a left hander in your life, be extra nice to them today! 😁

Are you left handed? Have you used any left handed tools before?

Let me know!

Rosie_Scope

Woohoo for left handers. I'm a righty but I know some excellent left handers so I will celebrating them today!

I didn't know how widespread it was amongst other animals too, that's really interesting. Every day is a school day 😎

vikingqueen

I'm a leftie as is my daughter and I can say with no doubt whatsoever our brains are definitely wired oddly😂 🙃😜.. l bought a very expensive pair of left handed scissors recently and all I can say is I wish I'd have bought them sooner. I never knew how much of a difference they'd make. Right handers just wouldn't understand 😂

poppy123456

I'm a righty too but my son In law and grandson are left handers. I also have a brother that's left handed too.

Grinchy

i'm a leftie to! definitely feel my brain is wired differently, heres to us lefties! x

vikingqueen

I still get the "oh you are left handed"….I know I am thank you, and notice how I didnt tell you that you are right handed 😂. I find it a weird thing to say to a complete stranger. It's almost like us lefties are the chosen few and need to be reminded every now and then 😂.

Steve_in_The_City

My late partner was left handed. It got him into at trouble in school (I can't remember how but as @Biblioklept says, he may have had to sit on his left hand! It makes you wonder?) He was highly intelligent but very illogical and he seemed to do things the wrong way round all the time! His inability to follow a map is almost legendary.

I on the other hand am not the brightest spark but I am logical and can read a map. Unfortunately, though, just to confuse matters, I have a mental block on the difference between right and left! I have to think about it. When I went on my driving test I put a ring on a finger on my right hand and memorised "turn right, ring right" so that if the examiner said "turn right" I knew which way to go!

My partner would never say "turn right" or "left" he would say "my way" or "your way". If he wanted to point an actor out to me on the tv he would say "your side of the screen" or "my side of the screen." It did get a tad confusing at times! Especially in The States where they tell you to go East or West…. how are you meant to know? As they used to say on the old soap "confused? You will be"!

Catherine21

My mum my dad me and my daughter all left handed

csno01

What an interesting post i am a left hander. :-)

jamiebear

I’m left handed!! Does that mean I’m special??🤣

My nana and dad were also left handed (my nana was caned at school for writing left handed)

Albus_Scope

It's great to see so many "sinister handed" people here. Much love to my special, ink smudging people. 😆

pburns1337

In Ireland left handed people are called ciotóg. It's a Gaelic word but still commonly used by English speakers. The root of the word means "awkward" or "clumsy". My Dad was left handed too, and he was forced to write with his right hand as a schoolboy.

Strawberry1

We have 1 left hander in the family but it's not me .

vikingqueen

There's an awful lot of left handed serial killers.. just saying 🫣😂

Rachel_Scope

Interesting observation @vikingqueen 😂 My mum is left-handed and she does enjoy a murder documentary…😳

Albus_Scope

I totally feel your pain @Biblioklept I was once told my handwriting looked like a spiders, if they became a doctor, then got drunk and tried writing on a plane…in turbulence. 😆

As for @vikingqueen I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. 😅

Catherine21

As I sad my mum dad me daughter all lefties and my daughter extremely gifted drawer honestly her art work looks like photographs she that talented and painting decorating my mums the same excellent painter decorating my and my dad clumsy

Catherine21

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/899737#Comment_899737

Well I cant comment on that one lol

Jimm_Scope

My mum is left-handed, however almost exclusively uses her right. An unfortunate side effect from being whacked with a ruler whenever she used her left hand as a child at her catholic school. Glad that's something we've long moved past.