I knew I'd find this thread eventually.
- ‘stewardesses’ is the longest word typed solely by the left hand
The following is from Word Flex for July 25th, 2001. I wish whoever writes this would say who they are, and cite their sources. The etymologies are always quite good reading.
AFTERCATARACTS (plural for a condition that sometimes follows cataract surgery) and TESSERADECADES are the longest words which can be typed using only the fingers of the left hand. The first word appears in a Merriam-Webster medical dictionary; the second is in Webster's 2. Other such words (some of which are not in dictionaries) are SWEATERDRESSES, STEWARDESSES, DESEGREGATED, DESEGREGATES, REVERBERATES, WATERCRESSES, AFTEREFFECTS, DECEREBRATED, EXTRAVASATE, GAZETTEER, REASSEVERATE, TERRACEWARDS, DEVERTEBRATED, AFTERWARDS, and REVERBERATED.
and
JOHNNY-JUMP-UP (a fast-growing flower or a brand name for a type of toy) is the longest word found in abridged dictionaries that can be typed using only the fingers of the right hand. Other such words (some of which are not in dictionaries) are LOLLIPOP, POLYPHONY, PHYLLOPHYLLIN, MIMINYPIMINY, HOMOPHONY, HOMOPHYLY, NONILLION, POLONIUM, POLLINIUM, POLYONOMY, HYPOPHYLLIUM, HYPOLIMNION, HYPOPHYLL, LUPULINUM, MINIKINLY, MONOPHONY, NIPPONIUM, and KINNIKINNIK.
