Re: Left-Hand Side

[Bev Parks <bparks -at- HUACHUCA-EMH1 -dot- ARMY -dot- MIL>]

  > Glen Accardo wrote:
  >
  > ... some sort of tool might have one side for the left
  > hand... in which case the "left hand grip" might be
  > perfectly nice.

Actually, I thought Glen's tool grip example was the best yet
for justifying the use of "hand" when referring to left or
right.

Then Lori Moore provided a lovely explanation for Bill's use of
"hand":

  >         I yank out the "hand" because it's a given that we're
  > referring to a certain _side_.  "Hand" doesn't assist in
  > clarifying that description in MOST circumstances.  When Bill
  > describes the location of a kepad, I feel "hand" is acceptable,
  > but not for his reason.  The keypad is near hand-level, so "left-
  > hand side" draws the reader's attention directly to (hopefully!)
  > that location.

I like it, too.

But then Lori just -had- to stick in this little P.S...

  > PS
  >
  >>>"...on the left hand side of ...?"
  >                                 (^ Do you honestly think this is
  > the best place for this question mark?  I'll go down fighting
  > for my right to punctuate OUTSIDE the quotes!)

Lori, I agree with you on this one. I should have put the
question mark outside the quotes because the whole sentence
formed the question, not the quoted material.

That's one for you.  ;-)

HOWEVER, if I had asked--

  Does it bother anybody to say "Does the gadget go on the
  left hand side, or the right?"

THEN the question mark is correct inside the quotes. Agreed?

Bev

P.S. You realize that this "left hand," "right hand" stuff is,
in most cases, a holdover from how we were taught in
Kindergarten to tell our left from our right.

=*= Beverly Parks =*= bparks -at- huachuca-emh1 -dot- army -dot- mil =*=
 =*= "These opinions are mine, not my employer's." =*=
  =*=                     =*=                     =*=