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What does bandy-legged mean?

Bandy-legged is used to describe someone with bandy legs—a condition in which the legs curve outward, causing the knees to point outward.The term bowlegged (or bow-legged) means the same thing and is more common.The condition known as bandy legs can also be called bowleg or bow legs (in which the word bow is a reference to the type of curve seen in a bow—the kind used to shoot arrows). The adjective bandy means the same thing as bowed—having a bend or crook outward.Many young children appear to be bandy-legged, but in most cases their legs straighten as they continue to grow. However, in some cases, abnormal bowing of the legs may be caused by diseases like rickets or Blount’s disease.Bandy-leggedness is associated with cowboys, probably due to the idea that the condition can be the result of spending too much time straddling a saddle. However, frequent horseback riding is unlikely to cause bandy legs.Example: I was bandy-legged as a kid, but my legs straightened out by the time I was four or so.