1.
left-handed; being left-handed
A person who primarily uses their left hand, or the condition of being left-handed.
2.
a drinker; someone fond of alcohol
A colloquial, somewhat old-fashioned usage referring to someone who likes to drink. Derives from the idea that the left hand holds the sake cup while the right hand holds chopsticks.
Literally 'left-effectiveness' — the dominant use of the left hand. In Japan, left-handedness was traditionally considered unusual, and many children were encouraged to switch to their right hand, though this practice has become less common.
Common collocations
- 左利き用: for left-handed people
- 左利きの人: a left-handed person
- 生まれつき左利き: naturally left-handed
- 右利きに直す: to correct to right-handedness
Similar words
- 右利き: right-handed — the opposite; the dominant norm
- 両利き: ambidextrous — able to use both hands equally
Sense 2 note
The 'drinker' sense is a traditional euphemism. The origin is debated: one theory says that carpenters held a plane (鉋) in the left hand (not the right, which held chopsticks), and 鉋 sounds like 燗 (warmed sake). This usage is declining but still encountered in older speech and literature.