A mnemonic for right-hand thread direction, judged while looking at the head of the screw or the face of the nut. It falls apart when working from the back side of a fastener, upside down under a vehicle or dash, or on left-hand threads, which is where most wrong-way turning happens. Even veterans mutter it when the wrench is at an awkward angle.
Upside down under the dash it's easy to get backwards, righty-tighty, lefty-loosey, looking from the head side.
Also heard as
- righty tighty lefty loosey
Related terms
Left-hand thread
A thread that tightens counterclockwise, used where normal rotation would loosen a right-hand fastener.
Cross-thread
To start a nut or screw crooked so its thread cuts across the mating thread instead of following it.
Break loose
To get a tight or seized fastener to start turning in the loosening direction, the hardest moment of removal.