What can you hold in your left hand but never in your right hand?

How to think about it

1. If the object were separate from you, either hand could hold it. So the thing is part of your right arm.
2. Your right hand cannot hold your right hand, your right wrist is a stretch, so move up the arm.
3. Try it: reach your left hand across and grab your right elbow. Easy.
4. Now try to hold your right elbow with your right hand. The arm simply does not bend that way.

Why “your right elbow” is the answer

Your right elbow is easy to cup with your left hand, but the right hand is on the far end of the same arm and cannot curl back to reach it. The riddle is a small anatomy test, and most people only believe it after trying. The same logic works for your right shoulder and upper arm.

Common wrong answers

• Your right hand. Your left hand can hold your right hand, but the right hand can also grip itself in a fist, so the “never” part is weak.
• A left-handed glove. A left glove goes on the left hand, but you can certainly hold it in your right hand.