Lefty loosey righty tighty

[sungod]

...

She would probably have drowned.

think of it as evolution in action

 

[Alex321]

This is one which has a

Inspired by yesterday's wordle I'd like to say how much the saying "Lefty loosey righty tighty" annoys me.

How much? A moderate amount.

I came across it relatively recently (this century) on the web, so I'm guessing it originated in the US. Not that I have a problem with that. I have a problem with the fact that it's stupid.

There's nothing inherently "righty" about clockwise, which is "tighty". If you have a spanner in the 12 o'clock position, sure, if you push the free end right it turns clockwise. But if it's at 3 you push it down, at 6 you push it left, at 9 you push it up. So it could be right, left, up or down.

If you have a screwdriver rather than a spanner, you rotate it. It's neither left nor right.

So why not just remember that clockwise goes forwards (like time) and anticlockwise backwards (like time).

Did the mnemonic arise in the digital age where no one understands what a clock face is?

I'm hazarding a guess that it's related to a world where everyone drives a car. Turn the steering wheel clockwise, it steers right. Despite that explanation I still think it is stupid.

This is one which has always annoyed me, for exactly the reasons you give. Though I don't think it is particularly American in Origin.

 

[Dogtrousers]

This is one which has always annoyed me, for exactly the reasons you give. Though I don't think it is particularly American in Origin.

I was guessing US origin because I only came across it on the internet. I never heard when I was growing up and it sounds kind of American. Could well be wrong.

Not that I have anything against Americanisms, there are some really good ones.

 

[Ian H]

This is exactly the problem. Saying that clockwise is "right" makes as much sense as saying that it's "towards the window".

Other than maybe the "steering a car" example. Maybe you could have said "Imagine that the stopcock is a steering wheel ... Now turn right".

She would probably have drowned.

Have you not heard the phrases 'left hand down a bit' or 'right hand down a bit'? Probably of nautical origin, but refers to steering.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Have you not heard the phrases 'left hand down a bit' or 'right hand down a bit'? Probably of nautical origin, but refers to steering.

I have, and they make sense, because they specify both a hand and a direction. "Left hand down a bit" implies an anticlockwise turn." "Left hand a bit" on its own doesn't.

 

[Alex321]

Have you not heard the phrases 'left hand down a bit' or 'right hand down a bit'? Probably of nautical origin, but refers to steering.

That makes sense when most steering wheels are near vertical, and the hands will be on the sides of the wheel, nso turning in one direction means moving that hand down.

 

[Mr Celine]

I have, and they make sense, because they specify both a hand and a direction. "Left hand down a bit" implies an anticlockwise turn." "Left hand a bit" on its own doesn't.

But these instructions are normally only required for a reversing driver. In which case you've just made them drive over your new bike.

 

[FrankCrank]

The way I remember bike threads is, starting from the left pedal and marching along to the right, it's left, right, left, right - simple innit.

 

[Alex321]

But these instructions are normally only required for a reversing driver. In which case you've just made them drive over your new bike.

Only if you tell them the wrong hand?

 

[Homers Double]

Easy way to distinguish a thread, hold it (bolt etc) horizontaly and if it goes down to the right it's a right handed thread, if it goes down to the left then it's a lefty.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

Easy way to distinguish a thread, hold it (bolt etc) horizontaly and if it goes down to the right it's a right handed thread, if it goes down to the left then it's a lefty.

There's always a smartarse.

 

[Mr Celine]

Only if you tell them the wrong hand?

I was referring to the part of @Dogtrousers post where he said 'left hand down implies an anticlockwise turn', which is correct going forwards but in reverse the car will perform a clockwise turn.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Have you not heard the phrases 'left hand down a bit' or 'right hand down a bit'? Probably of nautical origin, but refers to steering.

I would say that, to me, it applies more to driving

in a boat where there is a streeing wheel (not the right term but it makes sense here)
then I have often seen people using the opposite hand to turn the wheel as they need a lot of wheel turning to manoeuvrer in tight spaces

OK - I have not driven a boat myself since I was a teenager - I think Moses was a passenger - but my memory suggested that "left hand down a bit" was always more driving related

 

[Ian H]

I would say that, to me, it applies more to driving

in a boat where there is a streeing wheel (not the right term but it makes sense here)
then I have often seen people using the opposite hand to turn the wheel as they need a lot of wheel turning to manoeuvrer in tight spaces

OK - I have not driven a boat myself since I was a teenager - I think Moses was a passenger - but my memory suggested that "left hand down a bit" was always more driving related

Google says it has nautical origins, but not quite as I thought. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Navy_Lark