on the gripping hand

In the progression that starts On the one hand... and continues On the other
hand... mainstream English may add on the third hand... even though most
people don't have three hands. Among hackers, it is just as likely to be on
the gripping hand. This metaphor supplied the title of Larry Niven Jerry
Pournelle's 1993 SF novel The Gripping Hand which involved a species of
hostile aliens with three arms (the same species, in fact, referenced in
juggling eggs ). As with TANSTAAFL and con , this usage became one of the
naturalized imports from SF fandom frequently observed among hackers.

