h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I am left handed and left footed. I automatically kick a ball or offer to shake hands (oops) with left hand. They say (who are they?!) if you offer a child a pencil or a lolly they will take it with their chosen hand, So that's how you can tell.

And the other question, I have always been left handed. At say two or three my parents were sure of it. I think that some people may be very lefthanded, whist others, perhaps like Ant, may be more ambidex', I have heard that those suffering oxygen shortage at birth are more likely to be left-handed. Ah, that explains it!?

Well being able to operate two computer mice at the same time can be very helpful in my job.

That's probably the only thing I do do with my right, because someone gave me a really nice trackball that is right-handed so I got used to that. I also use everyone else's computers and they have mice on the right so..... Also both my children and right handed so it is easier for them. It's weird two left handed parents with two right handed children. Guess that puts the hereditary theory out the window.

Not necessarily. If LH is the dominant gene, say, and both you and your partner have it. But you get a gene from both parents so say you are both one LH and one RH, it is possible that both your children inherited a RH gene from both parents, making them right handed.

AS for your comments about ambidextrousness (is that a real word?) it may be true that there are differing degrees.

My neice only really became aware of doing things differently (i.e. with the left as opposed to the right hand) when she started school. She'd never noticed it at home as things were so natural for her. It was when she was starting to write that she was made aware of being left handed. She's been lucky to have good teachers who've helped her to overcome the difficulties as described above. She's been treated a lot better than some of my left handed friends were.

Same here, Ant. Did you know that Gary Moore and Mark Knopfler are also lefties that play righty? Of course you did, sorry.

No I didn't thanks for the info, *shouts* I'm not alone anymore

There is definitely a spectrum of left-handedness. I do most things that one learns sponataneously with my left (writing, throwing, kicking, peeling potatoes etc). I am right handed where I was taught a way to do something (cricket, golf, using a mouse, knife and fork) or have no choice (archery, playing the clarinet, machine gunning detrals). I agree though, that left-handers tend to be more ambidextrous because they have to be in a right handed world.

George VI, Prince Charles, Prince William, Queen Victoria(ambidextrous). da Vinci, Michelangelo(ambidex), Hans Holbein, Klee, Picasso, Landseer(ambidex). Chaplin, W.C. Fields, Harpo Marx, Lennie Bruce, Richard Pryor, Kenneth Williams, George Burns. Robert de Niro, Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Olivie de Havilland, Rod Steiger, Telly Savalas, Rex Harrison, Shirley Maclaine, Marcel Marceau, Rock Hudson, Kim Novak, Greta Garbo, Betty Grable. Tennis players - lots (around 40% of top players) - including Laver, Connors, Borg, McEnroe, Orantes, Vilas, Navratilova etc. etc. Gary Sobers, Mark Spitz, Babe Ruth, Ben Hogan. US presidents - Garfield, Truman, Ford, Bush, Clinton. And last but not least, Jack the Ripper.
Any more anyone ?

Hi Jan*. I am left footed too - kick a ball with left, lead with left foot etc are you all too or is it me?

No, I think my feet are right handed.

Hi Peta, yes, I'm left footed, and left-eyed too, which makes archery a real pain, as you are supposed to aim with your right eye, so parallax becomes a problem.

Thanks for those Jan* I can see an article coming along nicely here! Thanks for help!

I never thought of that one, yes I would use my left eye to look through a camera or a telescope. Which makes cameras right handed, because you press button with right, lefties must hold it differently .......

I'm right handed and I always use my left eye to look through cameras, microscopes etc.

I wonder why? How it works then.....?

George Michael is a lefty too well I have seen him write with his left hand, unfortunately living in London not Beverley Hills, I didn't witness what hand he uses for anything else. My hubby is left handed but is also very good with his right which is handy.

I think a collaboration is in order, so if I write one too, the powers-that-be can amalgamate the two. How does that sound?

I don't have any problem pressing the camera button with my right hand, it's just that my nose gets in the way when looking through the viewfinder with my left eye! Telephone boxes are another bugbear, as they are DEFINITELY designed for the right-handed. You pick up the receiver with your left, dial with your right, and can only take notes on the shelf to your right. Try doing that the other way round. Thank God for mobile phones.

My video camera is all wrong - you have to use your right eye and all the buttons are on the wrong side. Maybe I could just turn it upside down. No then the picture would be upside down. No that's ok I will just put the tape in the machine the other way up ............