Terms for left-handed people

Interesting article in the Oxford Dictionaries Blog on terms for left-handers:

• Sinister

  Used to refer to something of, on, or towards the left-hand side of the body (and is Latin for left). It also gave rise to the rather uncomplimentary adjective sinistrous: left-handed, slow.

• Mollydooker

  1940s Australian slang term for someone left-handed. Molly being a pet form of Mary, Dooker most likely comes from duke, a slang term for fists (especially raised for fighting).

• Katy-handed and Kay-nieved

  From the English counties Cheshire and Lancashire, kay-nieved comes from the Danish keite, ‘left’, and the early Scandinavian nieve (a clenched hand or fist; the hand used to grip a sword or an oar).

• Southpaw

  In baseball, a southpaw is a left-handed pitcher. This comes from the orientation of the diamond to the same points of the compass, causing the pitcher to have his left hand on the south side of his body. Also used for a left-handed boxer who leads with their right hand.

• Goofy footed

  Surfing with your right foot forward instead of your left (also skateboarding).

• Cuddy wifter

  From the North East of England, origin unknown. (also used in the East End  of London and was allocated to LHC organiser Keith as his golf tour nickname!).

See the full article here:
http://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2015/08/what-katy-wrote-terms-for-left-handed-people-on-left-handers-day/

See our full article on Left Handed Language