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Left-Handers Day: Surprising Facts About Being Left-Handed

Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

International Left-Handers Day is August 13, a day celebrating the 10 to 12 percent of people worldwide who favor their left hand. Discover surprising left-handed facts, history, and folklore—from old superstitions to the science behind handedness.

Years ago, some teachers insisted that all students, including left-handers, learn to write with their right hand. Teachers thought that students would have an easier time if they were not “different” from right-handed writers. Some thought that using the left hand was just a bad habit. Some even slapped or punished left-handed kids who had trouble!

left-hander facts

Now we know that everyone should use whichever hand is most comfortable. Today, 10 to 12 percent of the world’s population is left-handed. It’s not surprising that lefties sometimes feel “left out.” Plenty of superstitions and odd terms regarding left-handedness exist.

Left-Hander Superstitions and Terms

  • Sinistrophobia is the fear of left-handedness or things on the left side.
  • Many people believe that the devil is left-handed.
  • The Latin word for left, sinister, also means unlucky, evil, and suspicious.
  • The French word for left, gauche, also means clumsy.
  • A left-handed compliment is an insult.
  • It is believed that all polar bears are left-handed.
  • A left-handed baseball pitcher is called a southpaw. (And no, there’s no such thing as a northpaw!)

Why Are Some People Left-handed and Others Right-handed?

Scientists aren’t sure what causes left-handedness. Genetics plays a role, but it’s not the whole story. For example, identical twins have the same DNA, but it is common for one twin to be right-handed and the other to be left-handed.

Many left-handers have a symmetrical brain, meaning that the left and right portions of their brain are shaped alike. Right-handers often have an asymmetrical brain: The left cerebral hemisphere is often larger than the right cerebral hemisphere.

pinky promise left hand facts

No matter the shape of your brain or the hand you favor, here’s what we have—um—left:

Left-handed Facts and Trivia

The Left Test

There’s no sure way to measure “handedness.” One of the most widely used tests is called the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory (developed in Edinburgh, Scotland, in the 1970s). This test asks participants which hand they most often use for a series of activities, including writing, eating, drawing, throwing, cutting with scissors, brushing teeth, and unscrewing a lid.

Left-handed Burgers? Baloney!

A full-page ad in USA Today in 1998 claimed that Burger King had developed the “left-handed Whopper.” The burger had the same fixings, but they were turned 180 degrees so that they wouldn’t drip out on left-handed customers. It was a joke! The ad ran on April 1 (April Fools’ Day).

Lefties Day

August 13 is International Left-Handers Day! The tradition was started by the Left-Handers Club, a group in the United Kingdom. Club members around the world give interviews and play left-handed games.

left handed facts folklore

Left-hander Heaven?

Lefties might want to travel to Left Hand, West Virginia, where there is a church, a school, and a post office. The village was so named because it sits on the left-hand fork of the Big Sandy River, not because of the way its citizens write.

Left-handed Reward

A few left-handers attending Juniata College in Pennsylvania have benefited from a scholarship just for left-handers established in 1979 by Mary and Frederick Beckley, two left-handers who met when they attended tennis class together in 1919.

If you’re right-handed, try writing with your left. If you’re left-handed, try brushing your teeth with your right. You’re likely to find these activities surprisingly difficult.

So, tell us below if you are a lefty or righty and what you’ve observed about this phenomenon called handedness!

Amusements

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann is the Executive Digital Editor of Almanac.com, the digital home of The Old Farmer’s Almanac. She leads digital editorial strategy and publishing across a wide range of Almanac sub...

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<span>Donald Dekorte</span> Sat, 08/13/2016 - 17:20
I am a left hander but I do several things right handed. I throw a ball left, but bat right. I golf right. I shoot a bow and arrow or rifle right handed, but fire a hand gun left handed. I guess you could say I am just all mixed up!
<span>Walter Williamson</span> Sat, 08/13/2016 - 20:16
I'm pretty much the same, Most of the thing I do right handed (i.e. bat right handed, shoot rifle off my right shoulder) I attribute to my older brother who showed me was right handed. Over the years I've learned to shoot rifle both left and right handed. My preference is still right handed. I qualified Expert in the U.S. Army on both shoulders.
<span>Daniel L Beffa</span> Sat, 08/13/2016 - 16:52
I can use both left and right hands for using tools but for righting it is primarily with the left hand. I can pitch right handed and bat right handed I think I am ambidextrous
<span>Tim</span> Sat, 08/13/2016 - 16:36
I'm left handed and I do nearly everything left handed. However there are a few tasks that I find difficult to do left handed. I started golfing when I was around the age of 9. I attended a camp at the local golf course. They had loaner clubs for kids to use, but the selection of leftie clubs was so limited that I used the right handed clubs and I have been golfing right handed ever since. I was borrowed a friend's left handed club and tried to use it, but I couldn't hit straight to save my life. But in baseball I throw and hit left. I also open jars with my right hand.
<span>Bridget Walsh</span> Sat, 08/13/2016 - 17:11
I am totally left handed but also open jars with right hand and eat crisps(chips) with right hand. I think it's because I need to hold things in the left hand as its the stronger one!
<span>Paul De Vaul</span> Sat, 08/13/2016 - 16:09
I play baseball left handed, play golf with either hand , shoot a rifle right handed, swing a hammer and use a screwdriver with either. Dad was left handed and all 8 siblings right handed. One son right handed and his younger brother left handed. Scissors, only right handed . Cutting with a knife only left handed. Light bulb only right handed. Posts are all left handed. Computer, left handed, mouse only right handed.
<span>Clifford Baker</span> Sat, 08/13/2016 - 16:03
I'm a born leftie from Wheeling, West Virginia. My mother Sara, was a leftie. Her first born son,Bernie, was a leftie. Dick Dale and Jimi Hendrix, are two famous lefties who literally turned their disadvange into an advantage. They turned their guitars upside down to accomadate their left handedness. Hendrix re-strung his strings top to bottom. Dale left his strings upside down, and the rest is history. Me, I still cannot cut paper with scissors, but I always got to play first base! Lefties just need to be lefties, righties need to be righties, and that's all there is to it! Finding the left place to be different, feeling the love and understanding of your tribe, and filling a role is the left handers quest. Lol. !
<span>Aaron Chapman</span> Sat, 08/13/2016 - 15:55
My mother is right handed, my father left handed. I am the only lefty among their six children, including my twin brother. My kindergarten teacher was old school (40's & 50's) but allowed me to learn to write left handed although she tried to make me tilt my paper the way right handers did. I waited until she walked away and tipped it back the way that was comfortable for me. I learned to bat right handed because that's what my brothers taught to me but later started hitting left handed. Now I can bat both ways equally well. The only thing I do exclusively right handed is golf. I could never get used to swinging a club left handed. I have 13 neices and nephews and the only left hander in that generation is my twin's son. None of my three children are left handed.
<span>Bridget Walsh</span> Sat, 08/13/2016 - 14:38
I'm left-handed. Once, I was doing a speed exam where the questions were on the left and you ticked yes or no on the right. I had to turn my paper sideways so that my pen was near the yes/no box. The supervisor of the exam came to me and told me to straighten my paper (in case of cheating). I asked her if she had a left-handed exam paper for me and she was shocked. Because I couldn't do the quick fire exam properly, I just left the hall, and did NOT progress to a higher level in work. Apart from this, I've never found being a leftie difficult. In fact, it got me out of some chores, like cutting bread!! and even the washing up. My Mam always thought I would cut myself or drop something because I looked awkward!!
<span>Cris Clark</span> Sat, 08/13/2016 - 14:34
I am left handed. My mom was also left handed. She was diagnosed with MS several years ago and lost the use of her left arm. For several years she had to do everything right handed and had a very hard time with everything. The only thing I do right handed is throw a ball, like softball, because when I was starting to learn my dad refused to buy me left handed glove. But I still batted left handed. I did very well, in HS I was voted by my teammates as the best fielder my senior year.