# Things you do backwards. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 14, 2018, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-do-backwards/817872 "2018-07-14T00:22:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2018, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-do-backwards/817872/41 "2018-07-15T18:01:55Z")
My father probably would have been left handed but his first grade teacher forced him to write with his right hand. Maybe that’s why his handwriting sucked. In defense of the teacher she was teaching in a one room school. Nine kids in eight grades. She didn’t have time for"backwards" writing. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2018, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-do-backwards/817872/42 "2018-07-15T18:15:33Z")
My first grade teacher wanted me to write righthanded. I curl my left hand up over the paper and she informed My parents that this meant I was being obstinate and was really right handed. My Daddy gave her a new asshole before he was done with her. Most of my family are lefties. 2 of my children are lefties. I think it may have a genetic component. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2018, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-do-backwards/817872/43 "2018-07-15T19:54:15Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > …Most of my family are lefties. 2 of my children are lefties. I think it may have a genetic component. It seems certain that it does, though I think the genetic information that causes it might not be known. (Maybe by now it IS known - I haven’t kept up.) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2018, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-do-backwards/817872/44 "2018-07-15T19:58:24Z")
.sdrawkcab etirw ot ekil semitemos I ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2018, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-do-backwards/817872/45 "2018-07-15T20:03:18Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I curl my left hand up over the paper and she informed My parents that this meant I was being obstinate … Nah. The fact that English is written left to right means that left-handed writers have a problem to solve in getting the letters to work properly. Curling the hand up & over the writing line is one of the methods of trying to solve it. It’s like “Well, if I curl my hand like this, it’s almost facing the other direction, so maybe the whole thing will make more sense”. There did used to be a semi-valid reason for right hand only - the watery ink would not be dry yet, and if you dragged your hand behind the pen instead of in front of the pen, the entire page would be one big smudge. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2018, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-do-backwards/817872/46 "2018-07-15T20:11:26Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > .sdrawkcab etirw ot ekil semitemos I .nυʇ ɘɿom nɘvɘ ɘd nɒɔ ɿoɿɿiM ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2018, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-do-backwards/817872/47 "2018-07-15T21:46:19Z")
I button my shirt bottom to top. For some reason I was so frequently off by one (or more) buttonholes when I went top to bottom that I finally just gave up. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2018, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-do-backwards/817872/48 "2018-07-15T22:14:52Z")
Perhaps there is a genetic component to handedness. I have two sisters, and two of us, myself included, are right handed. But the third sister does some things with one hand and some with another. She played sports, like softball and golfing, left handed, and she sometimes eats “lefthanded” But she writes with her right hand. Curious. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2018, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-do-backwards/817872/49 "2018-07-15T22:38:26Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > Perhaps there is a genetic component to handedness. I have two sisters, and two of us, myself included, are right handed. But the third sister does some things with one hand and some with another. She played sports, like softball and golfing, left handed, and she sometimes eats “lefthanded” But she writes with her right hand. Curious. I’m right-handed but left-eye-dominant. For writing or throwing a ball, I do those right-handed. But for shooting a rifle or a bow-and-arrow, left-handed feels natural because I use my left eye to aim. I wonder if your third sister might be like that. I worry that it kinda screws up my curling delivery. And watching the Winter Olympics, I only noticed one biathlete who shot left-handed. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2018, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-do-backwards/817872/50 "2018-07-15T22:57:09Z")
I’m left-handed for nearly everything, including rifle shooting. Which means that it was nice that I usually shot a semi .22 during the cooler months when I would be wearing padding because the spent cartridges would eject right into my right shoulder. ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2018, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-do-backwards/817872/51 "2018-07-15T23:39:04Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > My first grade teacher wanted me to write righthanded. I curl my left hand up over the paper and she informed My parents that this meant I was being obstinate and was really right handed. My Daddy gave her a new asshole before he was done with her. Most of my family are lefties. 2 of my children are lefties. I think it may have a genetic component. I’m a leftie and do the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-do-backwards/817872/52 "2018-07-16T01:05:54Z")
For the life of me, I can’t pick up a sandwich right side up; it feels so awkward to even try. So I wind up eating them upside down. ---
**Author:** ![betterlifethroughchemistry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/betterlifethroughchemistry/32/3094_2.png) [@betterlifethroughchemistry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betterlifethroughchemistry)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-do-backwards/817872/53 "2018-07-16T23:35:49Z")
I don’t think this is what the OP means, but the wife and I tell people we did our marriage backwards, we had a kid, we bought a house and then we got married… ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-do-backwards/817872/54 "2018-07-17T00:18:52Z")
> [@betterlifethroughchemistry](#): > > I don’t think this is what the OP means, but the wife and I tell people we did our marriage backwards, we had a kid, we bought a house and then we got married… [I’m not the OP, but…](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8sFE8_usN0) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-do-backwards/817872/55 "2018-07-17T00:25:02Z")
No, that fits quite well. **burpo** speaketh the truth here. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-do-backwards/817872/56 "2018-07-17T00:26:41Z")
^ I got your six. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-do-backwards/817872/57 "2018-07-17T00:29:01Z")
When I come across a spammer on this board, I post that I have reported the spammer, _then_ I actually report it. There is a wait time if you report then try to post, but not the other way around. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-do-backwards/817872/58 "2018-07-17T13:44:24Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > My politics are backwards, too. I voted for Nixon my first election, for Ghu’s sake! Now I view Bernie Sanders as being dangerously centrist. It is said that a young conservative is heartless, and that an old liberal is brainless. So for what it’s worth you and I at least are destined for the same padded cell. Lucky you. I work with people who are generally very gregarious & type A. My habit of watching the crowd for several weeks before introducing myself is the exact opposite of how they operate. I am a cat in a world of dogs. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-do-backwards/817872/59 "2018-07-17T14:04:01Z")
I clean my shower “backwards” (I think). As I understand it, most people clean their shower stall, the walls, the sliding glass doors as a regular chore, and then they use their nice, clean shower later on. I, on the other hand, sit a chair outside of the stall with cleaner, etc. on it. I then take a shower and, after I rinse off, I “clean my way out of the shower” by scrubbing down everything with the shower still running. After everything is scrubbed down and rinsed down the drain, I shut off the water, wipe down and Windex the glass and then, finally, get out and wipe myself down. Voila! Everything is clean, including me! LOL It’s a system that works great for me, at least. ---
**Author:** ![CelticKnot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/celticknot/32/3392_2.png) [@CelticKnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelticKnot)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-do-backwards/817872/60 "2018-07-17T16:38:56Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I’m right-handed but left-eye-dominant. For writing or throwing a ball, I do those right-handed. But for shooting a rifle or a bow-and-arrow, left-handed feels natural because I use my left eye to aim. I wonder if your third sister might be like that. > > I worry that it kinda screws up my curling delivery. And watching the Winter Olympics, I only noticed one biathlete who shot left-handed. I’m left-dominant in everything. Eye, ear, hand, foot. I’ve done archery, but not in years. When we moved far away from my folks, I left my bow with them. They are archery coaches and teach beginners classes. I figure they might get a student who could use the bow. I’m almost ambidextrous, because I can do many things with my right hand. I taught Kindergarten to classes of mostly Korean and Japanese students, so I had to learn to write with my right hand. The most backwards? Despite using my left hand for almost everything, I have never been able to get left-handed scissors to work for me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-do-backwards/817872.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-do-backwards/817872.md?page=4)