Gaucherie
/ˌɡoʊ.ʃəˈriː/noun
Awkwardness or lack of social grace; a socially clumsy act or manner.
Did you know?Gaucherie comes from French gaucher, originally meaning “left-handed,” and in older European symbolism the left side was often linked with awkwardness and bad luck.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wel-
“to turn, bend, or twist”
Old French
Old French
gauche
“left; awkward, clumsy”
French
French
gaucher
“to be left-handed; to act awkwardly”
18th Century
French
gaucherie
“awkwardness; clumsiness; an ungainly social blunder”
Modern English
English
gaucherie
“social awkwardness or an awkward act”
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