what is gauche

Gauche is a term used to describe someone or something that is awkward, lacking in social grace, or offensive to others. It can also refer to a specific relationship between two atoms or groups in organic chemistry, where the dihedral angle is more than 0 degrees but less than 120 degrees. In French, gauche literally means "left," and it has the extended meanings "awkward" and "clumsy". The term may have come about because left-handed people could appear awkward trying to manage in a mostly right-handed world, or perhaps because right-handed people appear awkward when trying to use their left hand.