two left hands
/tuː lɛft hæn(d)z/
Word Rarity
Common
Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.00 in modern English
22
Scrabble Score
12
Letters
2
Syllables
11
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Lack of dexterity in either hand; being ambilevous.
noun
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see two, left, hands.
Example Sentences
- "I've never been good at sewing; I guess I've got two left hands."
- "There are awkward grownup persons, having, as the French say, two left hands, whom no labour will ever make dexterous carvers;"
- "[Orestes] Brownson is one of those characters. He has two left hands, and was never known to do anything right; whatever he touches he is sure to despoil and disfigure."
- ""Oh Max, it must be true what father says, and I've got two left hands instead of one; what a scolding I'm in for!""
- "So, when the factory issued a requisition for ten workers, the commandant picked the worst candidates--sick people like me, and those schlemiels with two left hands and two right feet, who he knew couldn't get the job done."
- "Ambidexterity means equal skill with both hands, as contrasted with the term “ambilevous” meaning equally unskilled with both hands (or described as having “two left hands”)."
Etymology
Regional Pronunciation
- British English: /tuː lɛft hæn(d)z/