Hubby's a leftie, as is my oldest sister. She used to get severe scoldings in school for her unwillingness to conform. She just turned 50, by the way, so this was quite a while ago. I think things have improved. I have heard tales of kids having their left hands tied to their bodies so they were forced to use their right hands.

I have heard tales of kids having their left hands tied to their bodies so they were forced to use their right hands.

This happened to my Great Grandmother, must have been late 19th century. She made sure that any left handed kids born to her descendents would absolutely be allowed to use whatever hand they wanted, but it hasn't been a practical issue yet. Though my nephew bats lefty.

I am the token right-handed person in a family of lefties. I have some sense of what it's like to be left-handed, since everything at my mother's house is set up for left-handed people. My grandmother was left handed and at school they tied her left hand behind her back to make her write right-handed. As is commonly the case, she stuttered as a result.

Do you have a lot of lefties in your family, Fred? Dh's family seems to have a strong left handed gene, but our kids are all righties.

Cindy, this is getting even further off the subject, but my husband's family seems to have a lot of lefties -- three of the four siblings are left-handed. And then my dad is left-handed. So, I'd almost be surprised if we have multiple children and they're all righties.

My father and Patrick both wear their watches on the left wrist. My hypothesis is that, out of sheer need, lefties are better at doing things right-handed than righties are at doing things left-handed, though this varies -- Patrick is basically an ambidextrous person who happens to write with his left hand, whereas my dad's left hand is much more dominant.

Also, when I was in kindergarten, I insisted on using the left-handed scissors, because they were like the ones my dad used.

</sinister natter>

My hypothesis is that, out of sheer need, lefties are better at doing things right-handed than righties are at doing things left-handed.

Absolutely. Which is why (to move back toward topic) Giles' watch, and the hand he used to smother Ben, aren't definitive.

I can think of at least one right-handed person I know who wears their watch on their right wrist.

Now you know three. And I used to get hassled about it too, by family. As in "What are you? LEFT-handed!?!" People = sometimes stupid.

"What are you? LEFT-handed!?!"

Ahem, not that there's anything wrong with that. (Okay we're freaks.)

(Okay we're freaks.)

No, we're creative.

Or just plain weird.

On another note, I remember seeing coffee cups with "Cup of tea, cup of tea, almost got shagged..." on them somewhere. I thought CafePress, but I can't find them there now. ANyone know if they still exist?

Buffista Swag: [link]

Now you know three. And I used to get hassled about it too, by family. As in "What are you? LEFT-handed!?!" People = sometimes stupid.

See, even for family, I don't think I'd be able to bite back the automatic "What are you? A moron!?!" response that this would prompt.