# How do you clasp your hands? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 4, 2018, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-clasp-your-hands/809993 "2018-03-04T02:25:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-clasp-your-hands/809993/21 "2018-03-05T11:47:57Z")
Funny, I was thinking about this this very morning. Left on top Right Handed 99% \* Left Brained Male \*The right side of my body is very clearly dominant but there are a couple of things that I do better with the left: fastening sleeve buttons and high jump (erm, 26 years ago, I haven’t tried since). ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-clasp-your-hands/809993/22 "2018-03-05T12:48:12Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > What do you think accounts for the hand-clasping, arm folding trait? Some combination of genetics and random chance. I don’t know if anyone has done a study of how very young children fold their hands (I certainly wouldn’t prioritize that field), but I’d hypothesize they have a much weaker preference, and that one version becomes dominant over time. What studies exist show the genetic component is minimal: [Myths of Human Genetics: Hand Clasping](https://udel.edu/~mcdonald/mythhandclasp.html) ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-clasp-your-hands/809993/23 "2018-03-05T13:14:34Z")
Right index finger and thumb on top. Right handed. The whole left and right brain thing is untrue. ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-clasp-your-hands/809993/24 "2018-03-05T15:13:31Z")
Hands, arms and legs go right over left. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-clasp-your-hands/809993/25 "2018-03-05T15:33:37Z")
> [@naita](#): > > Some combination of genetics and random chance. I don’t know if anyone has done a study of how very young children fold their hands (I certainly wouldn’t prioritize that field), but I’d hypothesize they have a much weaker preference, and that one version becomes dominant over time. > > What studies exist show the genetic component is minimal: [Myths of Human Genetics: Hand Clasping](https://udel.edu/~mcdonald/mythhandclasp.html) Dang, and here I thought I was onto something. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-clasp-your-hands/809993/26 "2018-03-05T17:15:15Z")
Female Right-handed Probably more left-brained Left thumb on top Right arm on top Right ankle on top Right leg on top when crossing my legs ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-clasp-your-hands/809993/27 "2018-03-05T17:23:46Z")
Right finger on top. Cross-dominant. Dexterous hand is the right, strong hand is the left. Female. Neither-brain dominant. My perceptions are highly visual, I sometimes say that my first language is not Spanish but pictures. But my expression has eventually and of necessity become highly verbal. Legs get crossed either way. Right now my ankles are crossed pointing back and the right is on top, but they’ll eventually flip. Arms get crossed left-outside, but I hug myself left-inside. Note that there’s studies which show that (in general, etc. etc., rest of the disclaimer), women tend to be less brain-lateralized than men. That an engineer who spends a lot of time training people needs to balance both sides shouldn’t be a surprise either. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-clasp-your-hands/809993/28 "2018-03-05T17:49:00Z")
- Left forefinger on top (and left arm on top when I cross my arms) - Right-handed (but, like Aspidistra, left eye dominant) - Male - Not strongly “left brained” nor “right brained” ---
**Author:** ![Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d9b06d/32.png) [@Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boozahol_Squid_P.I)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-clasp-your-hands/809993/29 "2018-03-05T18:50:29Z")
1. Left forefinger on top (and the entirety of the left hand: When someone says “clasp hands,” I don’t naturally interlock my fingers.) 2. Right Handed 3. Male 4/5. Left brained, I suppose. 4. Left arm on top 5. Both legs feel natural. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-clasp-your-hands/809993/30 "2018-03-05T20:49:23Z")
I’m comfortable clasping my hands either way; I tried it several times each way to make sure, and neither feels more “right” than the other. Right-handed, female, do not believe in the left brain / right brain thing at all. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-clasp-your-hands/809993/31 "2018-03-05T23:01:27Z")
left forefinger on top right-handed Male left brain dominant ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-clasp-your-hands/809993/32 "2018-03-05T23:16:52Z")
Right finger on top. Left arm on top… Right leg on top. Right hand dominant but I’ve been told I’m a closet leftie. Age 58. Female. ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2018, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-clasp-your-hands/809993/33 "2018-03-06T00:57:40Z")
Male over 60. Left finger on top Right handed. Left brain dominant. ---
**Author:** ![AllShookDown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d9b06d/32.png) [@AllShookDown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllShookDown)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2018, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-clasp-your-hands/809993/34 "2018-03-06T17:03:05Z")
Female Left finger on top Right handed Left brained ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2018, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-clasp-your-hands/809993/35 "2018-03-06T20:12:43Z")
Right, right, male, left ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2018, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-clasp-your-hands/809993/36 "2018-03-06T21:07:05Z")
Right with a big \* Right Male Rightish brained from the silly tests once upon a time. I cross my ankles both ways. My right arm goes on top when I cross my arms. - When I clasp my hands I mostly don’t interlock my fingers. It’s one fist wrapped by the other hand. When I do interlock usually my index fingers, thumbs, or both are extended and meet with the pads centered on each other. That’s still right middle finger on top, though. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2018, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-clasp-your-hands/809993/37 "2018-03-07T02:39:19Z")
Right finger & thumb on top. I’m left handed. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2018, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-clasp-your-hands/809993/38 "2018-03-07T11:19:12Z")
> [@TRC4941](#): > > Female > Right-handed > Probably more left-brained > Left thumb on top > Right arm on top > Right ankle on top > Right leg on top when crossing my legs Same here. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2018, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-clasp-your-hands/809993/39 "2018-03-07T19:28:11Z")
Male Clasping hands, the index finger on the left hand goes on top. Feels unnatural the other way. Folding arms. The right hand goes over the left arm and the left hand is tucked under the right. Crossing legs. The right leg goes over the top. I am now mostly right handed but I grew up at a time when my tendency was to be left handed but we were highly encouraged to be right handed. So I am a little confused in that area. Eating, my left hand is always to dominate one. Write with the right. Use of both hands are mostly equal in other circumstances. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2018, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-clasp-your-hands/809993/40 "2018-03-07T20:48:17Z")
Thread title reminds me of this: _“Don’t just sit there lookin’ stupid, graspin’ your hands in pain…”_ [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/qVhCNgct9JQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Blazing Saddles (8/10) Movie CLIP - Applause for the Waco Kid (1974) HD") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVhCNgct9JQ) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-clasp-your-hands/809993.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-clasp-your-hands/809993.md?page=3)