southpaw

Where it comes from

From south + paw. The original derivation is unclear: although now best known from the sport of baseball, the term is first attested in 1813, before baseball was founded. Suggested theories include:

For boxing:

* Evidence suggests the term existed before baseball, being used in the 1840s to describe a left-handed punch or "paw" in boxing. A 1848 political cartoon described a "south paw" blow in this context.

For baseball:

* Early 19th-century ballparks were often built with home plate on the west side and the pitcher's mound on the east to prevent the sun from being in the batter's eyes. Consequently, a left-handed pitcher's arm would be facing the southern side of the diamond. However, the term was originally used to refer to position players rather than pitchers.