Which Hand Do You Use?

I’ve been on a Curb Your Enthusiasm kick lately. In a recent episode, Larry damaged his right eardrum, and a doctor instructs him to use his other ear while talking on the phone.

But, as Larry bemoans, he always uses his right hand to hold his phone. When he tries to answer the phone with his left, hilarity (and awkwardness ensues).

I was reminded of this at a business lunch today. There were 3 of us waiting for 2 others to show up, and we had to shift around the water glasses after 2 people drank out of the glass to their left and 1 drank out of the glass on their right.

But all 3 of us are right-handed, so I asked if they were left-handed drinkers. Like Larry David with a phone, I drink with my right hand. It feels weird to hold a glass in my left–tilting the glass just doesn’t work as well with that hand.

At the same time, I’m fine holding the phone with either hand. When I drive with one hand (only sometimes when I’m feeling rebellious), I slightly prefer my left. I always open the microwave with my left as well.

So I find it interesting that even if you have a dominant hand for writing and throwing, it may actually feel really weird to use that hand for certain things.

Which hand do you use to hold cups, drive, talk on the phone, etc? Are there any specific functions that you simply can’t do or that feel awkward with a certain hand?

15 thoughts on “Which Hand Do You Use?”

  1. I’m right-handed, but drive lefty even when I’m not feeling rebellious. I think that is from driving stick for so long. I also talk on the phone with my left hand but maybe that is because I used to write while on the phone? I drink with both hands because I have 2 hands. I kick lefty…not sure where that came from.

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  2. I’m right handed. Use left hand for phone. Right for writing, drinking, sports, all else. But – strangely like Erin, I kick (football) with my left foot!!

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      • Me too! I thought I was the only one. Now, after years of shame, I feel a little less like a monster. (Just kidding–I always found it fun/interesting to be right handed/left footed.)

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  3. I usually use either hand for simple things I don’t think about: drinking, moving board game pieces, using my phone, opening doors (depends on what side the handles/hinges are on!), taking things out of my backpack, taking out laundry from washer and dryer, using scissors (somehow I have both right handed and left handed scissors and can never remember which is which so it does feel weird when I grab the wrong ones with the wrong hand).

    Things I mainly use my right hand for: PC gaming, throwing things, playing magic when drawing cards (but I play the cards with both hands, it’s just that I always place my desk on the right), washing dishes, writing (I can write with both hands but I hate how it smudges my left hand when writing normally, but whenever I write backwards with mirror writing I use my left hand for the same smudging reason).

    Things I use my left hand for: gestures while talking, waving, cooking (because my utensils and spices are on the left of the stove), and getting clothes from the closet (my half of the closet is on the left side).

    I guess whatever requires more strength and dexterity I choose my right hand but I am comfortable with using whichever hand is more convenient and closest to the lighter and less meaningful tasks such as turning up the car volume if I’m sitting on the passenger side. ?

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  4. Primarily right handed for everything. Phone is left, so I can write/work my mouse. steering is also left since I’ve always driven stick. Kick with my right leg, shoot with my right eye, etc.

    I always relocate my glass to the left side of my plate because I can’t eat with it on the right.
    It is too cluttered and in the way if left on the right side. I still use my right hand to drink out of it though.

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