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February 26, 2014 | Review Period
I Write With My Feet!
On lifelong language habits I have had.
When I learned to type at 13, for a long, long time I used to fake-type sentences as I heard them, moving my fingers slightly as if I was sitting at a keyboard.
I would try to type as fast as a moving conversation! I would fake-type what the teacher was saying in class! I would fake-type snippets of television! I would even fake-type as I was going to sleep (which is not relaxing!).
Recent Snowy Night: Me Doing Arabic Pimsleur on a Run in My Building’s Hallways
I think this habit may be why my typing speed quickly got up to 90+ words per minute. If you do anything all the time, you are likely to get pretty good at it!
I still sometimes fake-type even now.
Also, my whole life I have written with my feet. What I mean is that I often move my right foot (I am primarily right-footed, it seems) to form words like “hello” or “Ellen” or other random things that pop into my head. (Only cursive, of course—no printing.)
I guess I always figured everyone did this with their feet, but I finally thought to ask my husband the other day, and he said he doesn’t. He was surprised to learn what my right foot had been up to all these years.
Do you write with your feet?
I sometimes even foot-write complete sentences: lazy, loopy sentences, my ankles and toes revolving and sometimes even adding in the punctuation at the end. I enjoy extending my toes to punch in a little dot for the period. It’s fun.
I don’t fake-handwrite; I only fake-footwrite.
Comments (10)
Epictetus • Posted on Mon, March 03, 2014 - 3:06 am EST
I do now!
chris • Posted on Wed, March 05, 2014 - 2:14 am EST
You were designed to be on a beach!
Kristina • Posted on Tue, March 11, 2014 - 6:24 am EST
Writing with one’s feet is part of the physical therapy exercise during recovery from such things as knee replacement surgery.
Sarah • Posted on Fri, November 10, 2017 - 4:39 am EST
I recently realized I can write well with both feet, mirror write at good speed and Im ambidexterous. There’s obviously no lack of online information about ambidexterity. There is however, not much online information about mirror writing. Nothing besides a definition, names and basic info about various historical figures who mirror wrote, neurological info explaining this “ability” and why some people unintentionally mirror write after brain trauma. I’m not sure why this dosnt seem like adaquet info and I’m not really sure exactly what info I’d be hoping to find. It just seems like a fairly unfulfilling spectrum of info. I know that I would like info regarding what estimated percent of the population can mirror write intentionally. All I found online was the McIntosh study (which I read in full). In regards to writing with both of one’s feet, I found absolutely no info. Just utube videos. I’m contacting you to inquire about any information you can direct me towards specifically about writing well with both of one’s feet. Website addresses? I don’t even know if there’s an actual word for the foot writing ability. All I’ve found online is the term for the ability to use both one’s feet equally well (in general and not for writing).
Riley • Posted on Tue, June 05, 2018 - 4:17 pm EST
i have been writing with my feet for at least the last 4 months. even when i walk i think of letters that my steps are marking. i never did this before so thats how i came across this page. cursive for me too and usually using my toes. i do a lot of foot tapping when listening to music but ive never done any of these things with my hands. sometimes i dont even realize it but i learn so much better when cursive writing with my toes. i think it started when i came across calligraphy videos on instagram.
Marie • Posted on Thu, February 11, 2021 - 7:32 pm EST
This was so cool to read. I’ve looked into this online so many times and it’s the first time I see this post. I asked my mom if she did that and thought everyone did that, but assumed it just wasn’t something that we would talk about. She said she doesn’t. I do it in cursive with my right foot mostly as well. I felt like I used to do that more and that I’ve started doing it less for the last few years. But I’ve done this ever since I can remember. There’s a weird type of pkeasure in doing it. I tend to repeat the same work iver and over and over a few tizmes until I get bored of the word and stop and refocus on whatever I’m doing at the time like watching tv or studying, or until I choose a new word which can be influenced with whatever I’m watching in the tv or a word in I choose from some thought that I am having. Feels good not to feel like I’m the only one! haha :) Happy cursive writing!
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Ellen Jovin • Posted on Mon, March 03, 2014 - 12:59 pm EST
Ha ha ha. :)