right or left?

January 22, 2012 6:50 PM

when interlacing your hands, which of your thumbs do you put in front? what about your feet when sitting cross-legged? are you a righty or a lefty?

so in yoga class, the teacher often says to interlace our fingers, hook our thumbs, hold opposite elbows, sit with our legs crossed, etc. midway through the poses we're told to switch the crossing of our fingers so the other thumb is in front. this got me thinking if your automatic crossing vs. goofy crossing had anything to do with being a righty or lefty?

posted by sabh to Grab Bag (68 answers total)

I'm a righty. I cross my left ankle over my left right, and my left thumb over my right thumb.
posted by telegraph at 6:53 PM on January 22, 2012

Righty. Right thumb over left. Right now as I lie in bed, I've got my left ankle over my right. When I sit cross-legged, my left foot is inside the crook of my right knee, my right foot is under my left knee. Sitting in a chair and crossing my legs, I alternate as limbs and buttocks go numb in turn.
posted by looli at 6:55 PM on January 22, 2012

I'm a lefty. I do the same as telegraph (or did, before I had an artificial hip on the left side - now, I extend my left leg in most sitting-on-the floor situations )
posted by randomkeystrike at 6:57 PM on January 22, 2012

Right handed, left thumb in front. Legs crossed is left foot on the inside.
posted by Jacen at 6:57 PM on January 22, 2012

Righty. Left thumb over right thumb. Left ankle over right ankle.
posted by matty at 6:57 PM on January 22, 2012

Mrs. RKS is a righty and her right thumb ends up on top. She says she folds her legs under, so she's no help there.
posted by randomkeystrike at 6:58 PM on January 22, 2012

Righty. Right thumb almost exclusively. I alternate legs.
posted by lobstah at 6:59 PM on January 22, 2012

Lefty. Left thumb over right. Left foot over right. (And left eye dominant...)
posted by BobbyVan at 6:59 PM on January 22, 2012

Also a righty. Right thumb over left. Right ankle over left. Right leg on the outside when crossed-legged on the floor.
posted by bluesapphires at 7:00 PM on January 22, 2012

I'm left-handed and cross right thumb over left thumb but left leg over right leg. However, my right hip is also somewhat misshapen and I suspect that I don't cross right leg over left because, essentially, homey don't bend that way.
posted by drlith at 7:00 PM on January 22, 2012

I am mixed-dominant: mostly right handed, but lefty for rifles, archery, pool and suchlike. I'm left-footed when playing football. I am right thumb over left thumb. Left foot over right foot.
posted by pompomtom at 7:00 PM on January 22, 2012

Left thumb, feet can go either way when sitting cross-legged, left eye, right hand, right foot when kicking things, left everything when I'm voting.
posted by maudlin at 7:02 PM on January 22, 2012

I'm right-handed. Right thumb goes over left, the other way feels weird. When I cross my arms, the right one goes on top... I can't even figure out how to do it the other way! Legs don't seem to matter... crossing either way feels natural.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 7:04 PM on January 22, 2012

Right handed when it comes to eating and writing, left handed in everything else (knitting, playing pool, etc.) Right thumb over left, left leg over right. I also asked my daughter, who is ambidextruous, and she said left thumb and left leg.
posted by Ruki at 7:07 PM on January 22, 2012

Right handed. Left thumb over right and left leg over right.
posted by norwegian wood at 7:11 PM on January 22, 2012

Ooh, I wrote that while having my feet up on the coffee table, and my left ankle was crossed over my right, which means that sitting crossed legged (or criss-cross apple sauce, as my daughter would say) my right leg is over my left. With one foot on the floor, my left is crossed over my right.
posted by Ruki at 7:12 PM on January 22, 2012

Right thumb in front. Left leg over right (I think this is because my right hip is tighter, so right leg over left doesn't fit as close as the other way around). I'm a righty.
posted by never.was.and.never.will.be. at 7:13 PM on January 22, 2012

Left-handed. Right thumb over left. Left foot over right.
posted by SPrintF at 7:15 PM on January 22, 2012

I'm right handed for everything--writing, knitting, throwing a ball, holding a hockey stick, baseball bat, or golf club.

Interlaced fingers: right thumb over left.
Sitting cross legged: right ankle on top of left ankle.
Crossing my arms: left arm is on top.

Feels very weird to do any of these the other way.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 7:15 PM on January 22, 2012

Righty. Right thumb is on top. Either feet is good, i often switch them.
Also, when crossing my arms, my right hand is tucked, my left hand sticks up.
posted by FirstMateKate at 7:17 PM on January 22, 2012

Righty. Left thumb over right. Left ankle over right.
posted by baho at 7:17 PM on January 22, 2012

Mr Ruki is naturally left handed but was taught to use his right in elementary school. Left thumb, left leg while siiting crossed legged, right leg while crossed at the ankles.
posted by Ruki at 7:18 PM on January 22, 2012

Righty, right thumb on top, sitting cross-legged right leg goes in front (other way feels seriously weird).
posted by Gordafarin at 7:19 PM on January 22, 2012

Lefty. Right thumb in front, right leg in front. Right eye dominant (since someone mentioned that above).
posted by cabingirl at 7:20 PM on January 22, 2012

Best answer: It's not a simple genetic trait, but most people do have a preference.
posted by sbutler at 7:21 PM on January 22, 2012 [3 favorites]

Ha! Interesting question. I'm a lefty. When interlacing fingers, right thumb in front. Crossing legs, left leg over right.
posted by sweetkid at 7:23 PM on January 22, 2012

Righty. Right thumb over left. No preference as far as crossing legs, I do both pretty equally.
posted by TooFewShoes at 7:25 PM on January 22, 2012

I'm a righty-- right thumb on top, and left leg on top.
posted by oceano at 7:26 PM on January 22, 2012

Lefty here. Left thumb over right; left leg in front.
Left eye dominant, butalways hold phones to my right ear. Right foot first when walking or on stairs, if that matters.
posted by easily confused at 7:32 PM on January 22, 2012

Lefty. Left thumb over right, left arm over right if I cross my arms, but I alternate legs.
posted by pemberkins at 7:40 PM on January 22, 2012

Best answer: I remember that when I was at summer camp, they divided people into 2 teams based on which thumb was on top. The teams were roughly even. /anecdata
posted by kamikazegopher at 7:42 PM on January 22, 2012

Right handed, both right hand and right foot are on top. Oddly enough, I'm left eyed. This means that when using a digital camera my nose pushes buttons and I hold a pistol in a weird position.
posted by Confess, Fletch at 7:45 PM on January 22, 2012 [1 favorite]

Right handed for throwing, writing, etc.; lefty mechanic. Left eyed, left eared (though I'm deaf in the right). Right thumb over, right leg over.
posted by notsnot at 7:45 PM on January 22, 2012

My left handed handwriting looks more or less like my right handed handwriting. Thumbs: left over right. My left eye is dominant. I used to have great difficulty sleeping on my right side, but I've been pushing against that for years. There is no lefthandedness or ambidexterity at all amongst my immediate relatives, which makes me a little weird.
posted by oonh at 7:46 PM on January 22, 2012

Righty but my left thumb is on top. I also cross my right leg over my left.
posted by anniecat at 7:51 PM on January 22, 2012

righty. laced fingers seems to be right thumb on top, crossed legs seems to be variable.
posted by Ys at 7:52 PM on January 22, 2012

Lefty. Left thumb closer to the body/on top. Left leg in front. Use my left ear to listen to the phone.

But -- ooh! Right arm over left when I cross my arms -- and I throw with my right hand!

Shocking!
posted by artemisia at 7:53 PM on January 22, 2012

Right, right, right.
posted by tumid dahlia at 7:56 PM on January 22, 2012

Right handed. Right thumb on top. Left ankle on top.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 7:59 PM on January 22, 2012

Righty; right thumb on top, right ankle on top.
posted by threeants at 8:06 PM on January 22, 2012

I should add that I feel somewhat ambianklous, but putting my left thumb on top feels WEIRD.
posted by threeants at 8:07 PM on January 22, 2012

Right handed. My left thumb goes on top. My right ankle goes on top if my feet go under my thighs; my left leg goes on top if I'm sitting half-lotus.
posted by spaceman_spiff at 8:09 PM on January 22, 2012

Best answer: Right handed
left thumb on top
right foot on top

I'm really wanting to see you do some statistical analysis with this data. :)

Will be graded on presentation.
posted by BlueHorse at 8:17 PM on January 22, 2012

I switch back and forth, and I'm a bit ambidextrous. The foot that goes under when crossing is the one that's colder, because I use my legs to warm my chilly feet.
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 8:18 PM on January 22, 2012

I am right handed. My left thumb is over, left leg is over, I also lean my left elbow on the table. But hey, at baseball I hit with the left hand over and throw with the right hand. Also play "left" at hockey and golf. Wait--I'm starting to think I might as well be left handed. So there's that.
posted by ddaavviidd at 8:19 PM on January 22, 2012

I'm left-handed for writing and eating, and right-handed or ambidextrous for most other things. I'm a righty in crossing my legs and a lefty for my thumbs.
posted by scody at 8:33 PM on January 22, 2012

Left thumb in front, left foot in front and I'm left handed (although I eat with the right handed 'setup', that is, fork on left hand and knife on the right).
posted by Trexsock at 8:47 PM on January 22, 2012

I'm right handed.

Interlaced fingers: right thumb over left.

Crossed legs on chair: right leg over left.

Sitting cross-legged on the floor: left over right.

Crossed legs under my desk: either.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 8:53 PM on January 22, 2012

I write faster (but less legibly) when I use my left hand, and I can only draw with my left hand, but I'm ambidextrous or right-handed for everything else.

Left thumb over right, left arm over right, and left leg over right.
posted by topoisomerase at 9:10 PM on January 22, 2012

Just a note, the thumb crossing is evenly divided enough that you can use it easily to divide a large group into halves. Just ask everyone in the room to fold their hands, look which thumb is on top, and have all the right thumb people go to one side of the room and the left thumb people go to the left. You sometimes have to adjust by a few but it's remarkably even, more so than handedness.
posted by Miko at 9:16 PM on January 22, 2012

(Right hander here, left thumb on top. My legs cross either which way and ankles either way - I switch often).
posted by Miko at 9:17 PM on January 22, 2012

Left thumb and left leg on top. When I walk I lead with my left leg, too, come to think of it. I'm a lefty for writing but otherwise right handed.
posted by Lina Lamont at 9:48 PM on January 22, 2012

Lefty for writing, either hand for everything else. Right thumb on top and left ankle over right one.
posted by misha at 10:12 PM on January 22, 2012

Lefty. Right thumb over left, left foot over right.
posted by sugarbomb at 10:48 PM on January 22, 2012

Righty. left thumb on top. Every time. The first time I read this question, my left leg was crossed on top. When I came back in to read and answer, noticed my right leg was crossed on top.
posted by jbenben at 10:59 PM on January 22, 2012

fingers interlaced: right thumb over left thumb
sitting cross-legged: left foot under right knee
lotus pose: left foot above right knee
toes interlaced: left big toe over right big toe
posted by russm at 12:39 AM on January 23, 2012

sitting cross-legged: left foot under right knee
lotus pose: left foot above right knee
eh, that doesn't actually narrow anything down. crossed legs is right calf under left calf, lotus pose is the opposite. also, right handed, snowboard goofy.
posted by russm at 12:50 AM on January 23, 2012

I'm a very strong lefty and my left thumb and right leg want to always be on top. But when I do yoga, I will consciously mix it up, which feels weirdly amazing. Almost like my brain fights it.
posted by kinetic at 3:10 AM on January 23, 2012

Me: lefty. Folded hands: left thumb over right. Legs stretched: left leg over right. Pretzel-style sitting: right leg on outside.

For a (long) while I was deeply interested in handedness and sneering: I raise my right lip + cheek muscles. Most of the people I asked who were right-hand dominant tended to raise the sneer muscles on the left side of their faces. It was good fun watching all of us attempt to wrong-side sneer.
posted by mcbeth at 5:46 AM on January 23, 2012

Right handed, left thumb over right thumb, right eye dominant, goofy foot, and I switch up my cross legged sitting styles to accommodate my left hip injury and my right knee injury. Also, re: above, I have a mild facial tic that pulls on the right side of my face. And my meniere's disease is limited to my left ear, so I kind of tilt my head slightly to the right to compensate for mild hearing loss.

I am a neurological disaster area basically.
posted by elizardbits at 6:07 AM on January 23, 2012

OH ALSO I can raise my left eyebrow alone but not the right one alone.

O_o not o_O but always O_O or o_o.
posted by elizardbits at 6:08 AM on January 23, 2012

elizardbits: We're mirror twins! I can only raise my right eyebrow by itself.

I'm right-handed, a lefty hand interlacer & left leg in front sitting cross-legged.
posted by pharm at 6:14 AM on January 23, 2012

Right handed, left thumb over right, right leg over left, can move left eyebrow or both, not right alone.
If you're after simple genetic traits, try tongue rolling... or not - I just checked it out and it's another urban legend!
posted by hat_eater at 6:20 AM on January 23, 2012

Right handed; left thumb over right.

Stretched legs: left on top (usually); pretzeled up: right leg on outside.

And for what it's worth, I always start with the left foot when putting on socks or shoes, which is a minorty trait, it seems.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:45 AM on January 23, 2012

Right-handed
Right thumb over left thumb (I have to stop and think to lace them the other way)
Cross legs right ankle in front of left ankle, but it's not a big deal.
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 7:53 AM on January 23, 2012

Right handed.
Left thumb over right thumb.
Right leg over left leg.
posted by DisreputableDog at 11:22 AM on January 23, 2012

Right-handed.
Left thumb on top.
Left leg crossed over right.
Right arm on top of left when crossed over chest.
Inordinately fascinated by this whole investigation.
posted by Kibby at 6:20 PM on January 23, 2012

Right handed
(BUT I am ambidextrous (and usually left-handed) when it comes to everything else)
Left thumb on top
Left leg over right
Left eye dominant
Can raise only left eyebrow alone

There are lefties in the family, I figure that's where it comes from.
posted by deborah at 12:40 AM on January 24, 2012