"an awkward action; awkwardness," 1798, from French gaucherie, from gauche (see gauche).
Entries linking to gaucherie
gauche adj.
"awkward, tactless," 1751 (Chesterfield), from French gauche "left" (15c., replacing senestre in that sense), originally "awkward, awry," from gauchir "turn aside, swerve," from Proto-Germanic *wankjan (source also of Old High German wankon, Old Norse vakka "to stagger, totter"), from PIE *weng- "to bend, curve" (see wink (v.)).