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veteran
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veteran
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Keith, I was only teasing;
I know. I'm just playing it deadpan here.
k
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Dear dxb: does not "cack-handed" go back to days when in Arabia and elsewhere, the left hand was used to remove "cack" and so was socially unacceptable. Deadly insult to offer left hand to an Arab in those days.
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
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An amusing thought sir, and it's a real pity that the dictionaries don't make that connection. See my post above for cack-handed, see below for cack: Cack (?), v. i. [OE. cakken, fr. L. cacare; akin to Gr. , and to OIr. Cacc dung; cf. AS. cac.] To ease the body by stool; to go to stool. Pope. Both definitions from Webster's 1913 edition via One Look. Perhaps we should start a dictionary giving definitions and derivations as they would be if life were better arranged.  No - come to think of it, that's Hogwash!
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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I wondered whether there was a connection between cacography and the expression 'cack-handed', but it seems not
Do you know, it seems to me there IS. Look at Dubdub's opening post, where she says "cacography, poor spelling and/or handwriting". Now look at yours where you said, "Cack-handed: ... 2. Awkward; clumsy".
We had a fascinating discussion here a long time ago about left-handedness and the (perceived) implications of being so, even the very word sinistral; mostly centered around its being the opposite of right.
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old hand
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old hand
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Re cack-handed, the Italian word for lefthanded is mancino, and I nbever did get around to finding out its origin, or what it "really" means, since it makes no reference to handedness or left. I suspect its another derogatory term, designed to make all those puir wee right-handers feel better about having been born so cruelly impaired.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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mancino … it makes no reference to handedness or left
I dunno, I see mano in there and mebbe the diminutive -cin-.
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old hand
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old hand
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>I dunno, I see mano in there and mebbe the diminutive -cin-.
D'Oh! Stupidone. Grazie mille.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Still, Max, I'm sure there's *something derogatory about the term, notwithstanding Leonardo's genius.
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old hand
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old hand
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>Still, Max, I'm sure there's *something derogatory about the term, notwithstanding Leonardo's genius.
Weeelllll, he was OK in Catch Me if You Can, but I've never seen Titanic, so I can't comment on "genius".
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Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
In reply to:
Weeelllll, he was OK in Catch Me if You Can, but I've never seen Titanic, so I can't comment on "genius".
Well, where's Juan when you need him? He'd have a lot to say about Leonardo's genius! 
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