Lacking social grace or sophistication; awkward or tactless in social situations. Describes behavior that violates social norms through clumsiness or insensitivity.
From French 'gauche' meaning 'left,' as opposed to 'droit' (right). In many cultures, the left hand was considered awkward or improper for social interactions, leading to the association between 'left' and social awkwardness.
Remember that 'gauche' comes from 'left' - and just like some people feel awkward using their non-dominant hand, a gauche person feels socially 'left-handed' in social situations! They mean well but just can't quite get the social coordination right.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.