Ambisinister

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Clumsy or awkward, especially with both hands, as if one had two left hands instead of skilled ones
2. Describing someone who is unskillful or ungainly in their handling of things, as though both hands were left hands
3. Having the clumsiness of someone who is left-handed on both sides, fumbling and inept in everyday physical tasks

Etymology: "Ambisinister" is a formation built on the model of "ambidextrous," and the joke is in the mirror. Its first half, "ambi-," is Latin for "both sides," and its second half, "sinister," is the Latin word for "left," which English took over in the sense of the unlucky or threatening side. Together they describe something that is left-handed on both sides, a person who is clumsy with either hand, or, figuratively, something that is ill-omened in two directions at once. The coinage works by analogy rather than by any direct inheritance from Latin. "Ambidextrous" already meant "right-handed on both sides," so "ambisinister" swaps in the opposite side of the body to produce a playful mirror image of it. Because the word is a deliberate construction rather than a term that grew up through speech, it is best understood as a wordplay built from known parts.

Synonyms: ambidextrous