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. The commonly cited origin traces it to miners, who held a chisel (nomi) in the left hand; nomi is a pun on nomu (to drink).
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
ETYMOLOGY (sense 2):
The 'drinker' sense is a traditional euphemism. The most commonly cited theory traces it to miners, who held a chisel (鑿) in the left hand while striking it with a hammer in the right; 鑿 sounds like 飲み (drinking), and the pun stuck. This usage is declining but still encountered in older speech and literature.