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English : Southpaws

Why people who are left-handed are called southpaws?

According to many sports enthusiasts, the word southpaw began to be used to refer to lefthanders in the late 19th Century. Some believe that the sports columnist Finley Peter Dunne coined the word. Southpaw comes to us from the world of baseball.

This popular American game is usually played in the summer. Professional games are played either in the afternoons or in the evenings. In most stadiums, the home plate or the batter's box is placed in such a manner that it faces east. This is done to ensure that the batter doesn't have the afternoon or evening sun in his eyes when he bats.

The pitcher throws the ball facing west. This being the case, when a left-handed pitcher winds up for his delivery, his throwing arm is facing south. Hence the term southpaw. The paw refers to the hand of the pitcher.

Grammarian's definition of kiss: noun, though often used as a conjunction. It is never declined; it is more common than proper; and it is used in the plural and agrees with all genders.




COURTESY : The Hindu (The National News-Paper) - India

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