Your Other Left: Difference between revisions
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{{trope}}
{{quote|'''Kermit the Frog:''' Bear left.
'''Fozzie Bear:''' What?
'''Kermit:''' Bear left!
'''Fozzie:''' Right, frog!|''[[The Muppet Movie]]''}}
Possibly the [[Seen It a Million Times|most frequently used gag]] in the history of film and television. If ever in a comedy somebody tells a character or a group of characters to move/turn left, you can bet the character/one or more of the group will go right instead, prompting the phrase, "Your ''other'' left!". (Or they correctly turn left, at which point the first character realizes they actually meant right and tries to cover with the same phrase.)
If this doesn't happen, it's usually replaced with a confused exchange about "My left or your left?", even if the characters are facing the same way.
A slightly more credible version may involve some version of the following exchange:
{{quote|
[[Who's
A similar gag: everyone on TV gets confused between port and starboard. (Incidentally, port is ship's "left", easily remembered as they both have four letters. If you still find yourself confused, remember that both right and starboard are the longer words.)
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Sometimes appears as confusion between left and "stage left."
To be entirely fair, though, it's not like this doesn't actually [[Truth in Television|happen with an alarming regularity in real life]]. We're just talking about its predictable appearances on TV. For some reason, it's always "your other left," never "your other right", even though you'd think both occur equally often in [[Real Life]] (especially in languages in which the [[Who's
Compare [[The Exit Is That Way]].
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== Anime & Manga ==
* In ''[[Soul Eater]]'', Black☆Star has difficulty discerning left from right when trying to navigate a series of corridors. It turns out that he doesn't even know which is his left hand. He subsequently forgoes navigation in favor of going through the walls.
* ''[[
** A similar joke pops up in both the anime and [[Visual Novel]] versions of ''[[Kanon]]'': In an effort to avoid [[Once Per Episode|his regular collisions with Ayu]] and this trope, Yuuichi tells her to dodge toward the hand she holds her chopsticks in. Turns out Yuuichi is right-handed, while Ayu is left-handed...
* In ''[[Eureka Seven]]'', Dominic Sorel asks the protagonist if [[No Sense of Direction|South is in the direction of the hand you hold the fork in]]. This is a guy who's supposed to be a [[Modern Major-General|high-ranking military officer]].
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* In a ''[[Darkwing Duck]]'' comic featured in ''Disney Adventures'', a lightning strike makes Megavolt [[MST3K Mantra|perceive everything backwards and even talk backwards (young readers might need a mirror)]]. Anyone he touched would gain the same affliction, as Darkwing discovered after he said, "To the left, Launchpad!" and crashed into Launchpad moving to the right. Ironically, they got it backwards.
* In one strip of ''[[Calvin and Hobbes]]'', the two eponyms stalk into the house, drenched and glaring at one another, proceed in an angry silence to the bookshelf, and furiously look up an entry in the dictionary, whereupon Hobbes shouts, "See?! Starboard is ''right''! ''Port'' is left!"
* ''[[
{{quote|
'''Alice:''' I admire your ability to figure out which side is your ''right'' in only two tries. }}
* Used straight in ''Start of Darkness'', a prequel book to ''[[
{{quote|
'''MitD:''' You got it! ... OK, when you say, "left", you mean--
'''Redcloak:''' I mean not this side, you idiot!
'''MitD:''' You got it! }}
* One ''[[FoxTrot]]'' strip has Roger and Peter golfing.
{{quote|
'''Peter:''' Right.
''*putt*''
'''Roger (glaring):''' Next time, say "correct".
'''Peter:''' I'll go get your sand wedge. }}
== Films -- Animation ==
* When ''[[
* ''[[Quest for Camelot]]'' uses the line while Garrett (who is blind) is driving a wagon with Kayley shouting directions to him: "Left! Go left! <small>Your other left...</small> No, Garrett, ''right!''" In this case, it's Kayley confusing the directions and then correcting herself rather than Garrett mixing them up, but the effect is more or less the same.
* A variation occurs in ''[[
== Films -- Live Action ==
* ''[[The Matrix]]'': When Neo is fleeing the Agents and taking directions from Tank over the phone.
** Although there's a [[Late to
* In ''[[
* Used in the ''[[Little Rascals]]'' movie: "Raise your right hand... your ''other'' right hand." Justified by how these are young children, some of which are still unable to read and likely new to the concept of directions.
* Another example of this would be in the beginning of ''[[Pearl Harbor]]'' where Danny and Rafe decide to play chicken with their planes and say the following:
{{quote|
'''Rafe:''' Uh, right, no left. Left. I'll go left.
'''Danny:''' Okay, we,re goin left right?
'''Rafe:''' Right, right?
'''Danny:''' Right, like we're goin left, or right like we're goin right?
'''Rafe:''' Well, now you got me all mixed up, I dunno make up your mind!
'''Danny:''' God, Rafe, we're goin right. Righty-Tighty! }}
** [[Chekhov's Skill|They then do this later in the film to take down some Japanese planes.]]
* Used by [[Mel Brooks]] in ''[[History of the World Part One|History of the World, Part I]]'':
{{quote|
''(Mucus promptly runs into Vindictus)''
'''Marcus Vindictus:''' Don't you know your right flank from your left flank?
'''Captain Mucus:''' I'm sorry sir, I flunked flank.
'''Marcus Vindictus:''' You flunked flank? Get the flunk out of here! }}
* ''[[Glory]]'' has a classic example of the Drill instructor version. Including the Sergent asking "How many of you don't know your right from your left?" at which about half the hands go up. Not an unusual thing for country-boy soldiers in general, the term "hayfoot" comes from one noted memory aid, and many of the soldiers there were in fact former slaves with little to no formal education, adding to this.
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* Shows up in a few ''[[The Three Stooges]]'' shorts, with interesting misconceptions. One features Moe trying to tell Curly that something goes on the 'right' wall. While facing him. They both point to their own right. This continues AFTER they trade places. And when Larry comes in, facing the two, and points to HIS right.
** Then there's when Curly prepares to pound a nail pointed the wrong way on a wall. Moe calls him an imbecile for what he's about to do since the nail's pointing the wrong way..because the nail goes on THAT wall!
* In ''[[Indiana Jones and
** Though it was actually just because the hole on the right was full of bugs, and she was hoping either would do.
* In ''[[Master and Commander|Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World]]'', Midshipman Blakeney, who lost an arm in the opening battle sequence, is preparing the men for battle by having them attach neckcloths to their arms to distinguish friend from foe.
{{quote|
'''Davies:''' Is that the arm you got, or the arm you don't got? }}
* In ''The Long Long Trailer'' (a non-[[I Love Lucy|Lucy]] related movie from [[Lucille Ball]] and Desi Arnaz) one of the newly wed couple's first fights comes from this.
{{quote|
'''Nicky:''' Turn right here left? Have you any conception how much room it takes to turn this thing around? We may have to go on for miles. }}
* In ''[[Once Upon a Time In Mexico]]'', there's a badass moment when the blinded [[Johnny Depp|Agent Sands]] shoots a mook on verbal directions from a local child... which is then derailed when he pauses and asks the immortal question:
{{quote|
'''Chicleta:''' ''Mi'' derecha. }}
* In ''[[The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension]]'', Buckaroo and John Parker are chasing the Red Lectroid battleship in a stolen Thermopod. Banzai is sitting in a rear-facing seat, resulting in some confusion when he tries to give Parker directions.
* Phileas Fogg attempts to aid Passpertout during a fight scene in the 2004 remake of ''[[Around the World
* A variation in the [[Abbott and Costello]] film ''Pardon My Sarong'': A cop boards the bus that Bud and Lou have stolen, and tells them to back up, to which Bud tells Lou that he should go ahead and do it. Lou replies, "How can I back up ''and'' go ahead?"
** In ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein]]'', the boys are trying to escape a dungeon. Lou begins to head into a tunnel, and Bud tells him, "Not that way, to the left!" Still in the tunnel Lou looks down at his hands, picks the left one, and runs to his ''immediate'' left...smack into a brick wall.
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== Live Action TV ==
* One of the guys on ''[[Back To Life]]'' tries to disassemble a NASA helmet to restore it, which involves loosening screws. The guy working the screw driver turns the screws the wrong way.
* ''[[
* The pilot episode of ''[[Third Watch]]'': Kim and Bobby, in their ambulance, are stuck behind a motorist. Kim speaks over the tannoy to the motorist, asking him to move to the
* In the ''[[
* In one of those rare cases of being [[Truth in Television]] and simultaneously a trope being used, every season ''[[Survivor]]'' has at least one challenge that requires the bulk of those competing to be blindfolded and verbally directed by one person. Just as regularly, one tribe ''always'' gets screwed by this trope.
* A variation in the ''[[
{{quote|
'''Ace:''' When were they left here?
'''The Doctor:''' No! Turn left here.
'''Ace:''' Oh, right.
'''The Doctor:''' No, left! }}
* In an episode of ''[[
* ''[[Knightmare]]'' had this in so many interesting ways.
** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciIfcYwI6Ps Simon, sidestep to your left.]
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* ''[[Burn Notice]]'': Of all people, Michael and Sam, two highly professional ex-spies, get tripped up by this when Sam's giving instructions to Michael over a radio while monitoring the room through its surveillance cameras.
** [[It Makes Sense in Context]], since Sam is slightly inebriated (he <s>always</s> usually is) and Michael calls him on the mistake before committing to it, but Sam just sounds so sure that he goes with it.
* On ''[[
* Said by Mac to Charlie in the ''[[
* In ''[[Tremors]]: The Series'', Burt uses a military-jargon variant ("Your ''other'' two-o'-clock") to tell Tyler from which angle Messerschmitt is flying towards them.
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== Radio ==
* In an episode of ''[[
** And more recently, the same computer said "Make a left turn. Left. Turn left. Left. Left. Left. I mean right."
== Theater ==
* In the Broadway musical ''[[A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum]]'', [[Miles Gloriosus]] says "There's none of the enemy left, right?" and "We not only fought but we won, too!" in each case hopelessly confusing his soldiers marching to "Left, right, left, right!" and "One, two, one, two!".
== Video Games ==
* ''[[Guild Wars]] Nightfall'':
{{quote|
* In ''[[Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas]]'', when the player has to shoot incoming cops during a car chase;
{{quote|
'''CJ:''' Your left, or my left?
'''Ryder:''' Hell, I don't know, just shoot everybody, motherfucker. }}
* Dean Domino might try to kill you by giving you bad directions (accidentally or otherwise) at the end of [[Fallout: New Vegas|Dead Money]]. With a high enough intelligence stat, you can actually [[Lampshade Hanging|call him out]] on whose left he's talking about.
* Clarence from ''[[Penumbra]] Black Plague'' can say "No, other left ! ''Other left'' !" while {{spoiler|arguably helping Philip sneak past the other Infected in the corridors near the Chemical Storage}}, if Philip doesn't listen to his advice.
== Web Animation ==
* Parodied in the ''[[
{{quote|
'''Strong Bad:''' A single deuce... Deuce.
'''Strong Sad:''' No, your ''other'' back! }}
== Web Comics ==
* Used straight in [http://www.undefined.net/1/0/?strip=658 this] ''[[
* A surprisingly original variation in ''[[
{{quote|
* Subverted in [http://www.mezzacotta.net/owls/?comic=28 this] ''[[Mezzacotta]]'' strip. One character even comments: "This isn't vaudeville, after all."
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20111229185737/http://www.bardsworth.com/archive.php?p=499 This] ''Bardsworth'' strip, featuring disastrous dancing lessons.
== Western Animation ==
* ''[[Rocket Power]]'', "Race Across New Zealand": Twister has confusion between the two sides because of the traffic going on the other side of the road.
* ''[[
{{quote|
** And parodied in ''[[Avatar:
{{quote|
* Taken totally straight in ''[[
* In ''[[Kim Possible]]'', "Cap'n Drakken" (the episode where they live in "Ye olde times") there is a part where, in trying to direct a ship, Barkin says "Starboard!" followed shortly by "your other starboard!" [https://web.archive.org/web/20100823143035/http://caps.kpfanworld.com/capn_drakken/hd/1201-1300 (about 1/3 of the way down the page)]
* Taken a step further by ''[[The Simpsons (
* Done on a sketch on ''[[Histeria
* Played with in ''[[Megas XLR]]'' when Jamie (in the back seat of the car/cockpit) tells Coop (in the driver's seat) to block an enemy to the left. Coop looks left, though the enemy is actually on his right, and he is attacked anyway. Jamie adds "My left!" to which Coop replies, "We have the same left!"
* Frequently used on ''The New Adventures of [[Winnie the Pooh]]''. Justified as they are animals of very little brain.
* An episode of ''[[Rugrats]]'' had Stu and his dad inside a mechanical dragon and Stu ordered Lou (his dad) to hit a button on his
* Used in the ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
* In an episode of [[Johnny Test]] when everyone is fleeing from aliens:
{{quote|
'''Johnny:''' My left or your left?
'''Susan:''' ''It's the same left!'' }}
== Real Life ==
* In [[Real Life]], every drill instructor ''ever'' has had to use the line, typically when trying to teach people how to march in formation, thus requiring them to start with the left foot. Same with marching bands.
** "Your ''military'' left!"
* [[Defied Trope|Deliberately avoided]] by [[Real Life]] driving instructors, who will often use the word "right" to indicate direction only, using "yes" or "correct" to indicate an affirmative, in order to avoid such confusion.
* When accuracy is critical, expect to hear compass points, headings, or clock numbers because of their unambiguous meanings or basis on absolute directions. The clock code in aviation was designed to correct for this, but hasn't entirely worked: in the heat of an engagement it can take too long to visualize the position. Thus, position is often described in apparently redundant left-right terms as well, as in "Tally 2, 7 o'clock left!"
** Not to mention there's an entire subtrope involving novice fighter pilots being told "Enemy fighter approaching you at six o'clock" and deciding they don't need to worry yet because it's only half past three.
* To try to avert this, anatomy always uses the ''subject's'' right or left, and also uses more specific terms like anterior, ventral, proximal, or superficial to avoid vagueness.
* And theatre attempts to fix the problem the same way, by having an arbitrary viewpoint. "Left" and "right" area always assumed to be from the perspective of the one being directed, and often directors will have to use "stage left" or "stage right" to clarify this.
* In Heraldry, the terms are Dexter (right) and Sinister (Left) They always apply to the shield as if it were being carried, making "Dexter" the viewer's left, and Sinister being the viewer's right.
** In many medieval recreation groups this is mostly averted by the use of "sword-side" and "shield-side" when giving instructions on the tourney or melee fields. It doesn't work so well for anyone left-handed.
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[[Category:Comedy Tropes]]
[[Category:Truth in Television]]
[[Category:
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