Handwriting

Princess Alice

Do you cross your 7?

It's more common in Europe than America because Europeans tend to write the numeral 1 with a serif that makes it look a bit like an uncrossed 7, while Americans usually just write 1 as a straight line. But I still find the crossed 7 useful, because a capital T can look a bit like a 7 if you're writing quickly.

Crystal

Nope. I am familiar enough with my handwriting that I don't really care if letters start looking like other letters, or numbers, and so on. Besides, context makes that a non-issue personally, since stuff like "7elps" makes no sense. It looks cool though.

Princess Alice

Heh. I suppose I come from a slightly different perspective, since my job involves writing out part numbers that can be long strings of letters and numbers...

Crystal

Well that would do it. In that case, yeah I can see being very anal about it. But for most other, non job-related situations? No biggie.

Also, at first I thought this was a thread for sharing your handwriting.

Princess Alice

It can be that, too! I just didn't have an example on hand.

Also, I just find it easier to write numbers the same way every time than to write one way at work and another way everywhere else...

Morven

I am almost incapable of handwriting anymore.

Princess Alice

As demonstrated with a rather dull pencil: normal writing, block capitals (for when I want to look less "girly"), and numerals:

glennmagusharvey

I don't see how your normal writing looks "girly", or how your block caps writing looks "less girly".

Then again, I fail to see how a lot of things normally considered "girly" are "girly", so you shouldn't take my word for it.

glennmagusharvey

Also, I occasionally cross my 7.

I somewhat more often serif my 1.

lowercase L, by itself, I generally write cursive-like.

I always serif my uppercase block capitals (print) I.

ProfessorGator

glennmagusharvey said:

I don't see how your normal writing looks "girly", or how your block caps writing looks "less girly".

I think it's the cursive loops in the normal handwriting. Yes, I know that's weird.

Also, I get the impression that my handwriting is kinda childish, yet without the scrawling illegibility that may imply. I might post a sample to give you an idea.

Princess Alice

Also: for some reason I find it rather difficult to write the numeral 2 without that little loop. Whenever I try it comes out looking like the letter Z.

Which, incidentally, is why I cross the letter Z when I use it in a math equation.

buttercrispy

glennmagusharvey

ProfessorGator said:

glennmagusharvey said:

I don't see how your normal writing looks "girly", or how your block caps writing looks "less girly".

I think it's the cursive loops in the normal handwriting. Yes, I know that's weird.

Also, I get the impression that my handwriting is kinda childish, yet without the scrawling illegibility that may imply. I might post a sample to give you an idea.

It's more so that I recognize the loopiness (as well as the "large circle print style" that I've seen some people use, even in high school), and while it (and the large circle print style, especially) may be more typically used by female writers, there just doesn't seem to be any reason for me to call it "girly" because I can't see any inherent property of it that's somehow "girly".  It's just...there.  So for me to call it "girly" would basically mean me perpetuating a stereotype and not much else.

Maybe it's because I just don't really see much of anything as inherently "girly" (or "boyish" or "feminine" or "manly" etc.).  This is basically my perspective any time we talk about assigning traits to genders, in case you're wondering.

Toolsie

I never used to cross my 7's, and then I suddenly started doing it and now I always do it.

Tachyon

I don't cross my 7s.  But then, I write abnormally slowly, and my capital Ts never look like 7s.

And my handwriting is still awful.

glennmagusharvey

If anything I think that boys should also be taught handwriting well so that their writing is equivalently as neat, legible, and aesthetically pleasing as stereotypical girls' handwriting.

In other words, just teach everyone good handwriting, regardless of gender.

Tachyon

I thought that was what was supposed to happen?

I'm pretty sure the National Curriculum does not take a gender-discriminatory stance on handwriting.

glennmagusharvey

Raised, as well, I guess.  I don't mean to claim that discrimination is happening intentionally, but rather I meant to criticize stuff like "boys will be boys" sort of thinking on the part of parents.

Tachyon

Oh, yeah, that sucks.

But how big is parental influence on handwriting, really?  I'd have thought it's more a question of peer influence.

buttercrispy

my parents sat with me when I was first learning and gave me extra things to write if I asked. My casual handwriting has distinct letters that look like the way my dad writes them.

Tachyon

I guess it depends on the particular kid and the parents in question.

I'm kind of weird in that I can't print.  Cursive is much easier for me.  Which is to say, my illegible approximation of cursive.

Buttwangs

Not only does my writing look bad, but it hurt to write too

ProfessorGator

I was taught manuscript handwriting by an OT I had when I was 4 years old. It was a very intensive course, as my mother recalls. Cursive handwriting was insisted upon in grade school, so I learned that by necessity. We then proceeded to throw it completely out the window from 5th grade onward :P

Princess Alice

My numeral 5 has been mistaken for the letter S on several occasions, so I'm making a conscious effort to make it more distinct.

It's weird when you have to pay attention to your own handwriting like that.

Tre

Just realized I was late to the party here. Ah well.