4 ms·

Is it just me, or does it make no sense to call clockwise "left to right?" After all, when the (end of the) hand of a clock goes around the circle, it goes jus

by unwind 12y ago

Is it just me, or does it make no sense to call clockwise "left to right?" After all, when the (end of the) hand of a clock goes around the circle, it goes just as much right to left as it goes left to right, while going clockwise all the time ...

cmsj 12y ago
In the context of a sundial (Edit: in the northern hemisphere), it makes more sense. The right-to-left bits are mostly happening at night :)
Ideka 12y ago
True, I always think the same thing. But if a wheel was rotating clockwise, it would be moving from left to right. That could be where it comes from.
- croon 12y ago
  Depends on if contact is made to the top or the bottom of the wheel. (sorry)
jonsen 12y ago
It certainly makes sense for an object encircling you. For a wall clock it then comes down to whether you imagine yourself standing out from the wall on the clock face, or if you are burried into the wall. The first is perhaps the most obvious imagination chosen by most people.
ajuc 12y ago
Yes, it depends whether you watch the upper part of the circle, or the bottom part. But people imagine drawing circle starting at the top, so it makes some sense. BTW: right is Right, and left is "sinister", so to go from sinister to Right is good, and to go the other way is bad. BTW2 - in my native language (Polish) the association are similar - prawy (right) means also "virtous", and "lewy" (left) means "counterfeited", "illegal".
- unwind 12y ago
  Yeah, I guess ... it's just weird to me since you're supposed to be watching the end of the hand, not the part of the clock that the end might be passing now, or be up to 180 degrees away from. Oh well. Language is like that, I guess.
wlesieutre 12y ago
My guess is that it comes from us considering the top of things to be generally more important than the bottom. And that it's been very much internalized by anyone who drives a car. Turning right? Top of the wheel goes right. Disregard bottom of wheel.
jere 12y ago
I agree. It reminds me of the beltline around Raleigh. It's a circle.... I always envision it and explain it using clockwise or counterclockwise. However, when you get on at the eastern most point (3:00 on a clock), you are given options to get on the west beltline or the east beltline. You're going west either way. It's infuriating.
- cc438 12y ago
  I wonder why they didn't decide to name the loops "Inner" and "Outer" like they did for 485 in Charlotte. It makes a lot more sense. NC has all sorts of crazy road names and designs though. My favorite is 240/26 in Asheville as you'll end up driving West and East simultaneously (26 East is 240 West and 240 East is 26 West). That and the bridge over the French Broad which is I-240, I-26, Route 74, Route 70, Route 19, Route 23, and Patton Avenue all at the same time across 4 lanes.
ehrman 12y ago
From a point of reference at the center of the clock, clockwise is always left to right.

by unwind 12y ago

cmsj 12y ago

In the context of a sundial (Edit: in the northern hemisphere), it makes more sense. The right-to-left bits are mostly happening at night :)

Ideka 12y ago

True, I always think the same thing. But if a wheel was rotating clockwise, it would be moving from left to right. That could be where it comes from.

croon 12y ago
Depends on if contact is made to the top or the bottom of the wheel. (sorry)

jonsen 12y ago

It certainly makes sense for an object encircling you. For a wall clock it then comes down to whether you imagine yourself standing out from the wall on the clock face, or if you are burried into the wall. The first is perhaps the most obvious imagination chosen by most people.

ajuc 12y ago

Yes, it depends whether you watch the upper part of the circle, or the bottom part. But people imagine drawing circle starting at the top, so it makes some sense. BTW: right is Right, and left is "sinister", so to go from sinister to Right is good, and to go the other way is bad. BTW2 - in my native language (Polish) the association are similar - prawy (right) means also "virtous", and "lewy" (left) means "counterfeited", "illegal".

unwind 12y ago
Yeah, I guess ... it's just weird to me since you're supposed to be watching the end of the hand, not the part of the clock that the end might be passing now, or be up to 180 degrees away from. Oh well. Language is like that, I guess.

wlesieutre 12y ago

My guess is that it comes from us considering the top of things to be generally more important than the bottom. And that it's been very much internalized by anyone who drives a car. Turning right? Top of the wheel goes right. Disregard bottom of wheel.

jere 12y ago

I agree. It reminds me of the beltline around Raleigh. It's a circle.... I always envision it and explain it using clockwise or counterclockwise. However, when you get on at the eastern most point (3:00 on a clock), you are given options to get on the west beltline or the east beltline. You're going west either way. It's infuriating.

cc438 12y ago
I wonder why they didn't decide to name the loops "Inner" and "Outer" like they did for 485 in Charlotte. It makes a lot more sense. NC has all sorts of crazy road names and designs though. My favorite is 240/26 in Asheville as you'll end up driving West and East simultaneously (26 East is 240 West and 240 East is 26 West). That and the bridge over the French Broad which is I-240, I-26, Route 74, Route 70, Route 19, Route 23, and Patton Avenue all at the same time across 4 lanes.

ehrman 12y ago

From a point of reference at the center of the clock, clockwise is always left to right.