# Can you encircle your wrist with your thumb and pinky? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 4, 2011, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-encircle-your-wrist-with-your-thumb-and-pinky/573439 "2011-03-04T02:09:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-encircle-your-wrist-with-your-thumb-and-pinky/573439/21 "2011-03-04T02:58:37Z")
Oh, pinky! :smack: My answer needs to be, “yes, but barely.” ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-encircle-your-wrist-with-your-thumb-and-pinky/573439/22 "2011-03-04T02:58:56Z")
I’m a couple millimeters short. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-encircle-your-wrist-with-your-thumb-and-pinky/573439/23 "2011-03-04T03:07:21Z")
Off by about 2 cm on my left writs, 1 cm on my right. I answered “not even close.” ---
**Author:** ![Troubles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Troubles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troubles)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-encircle-your-wrist-with-your-thumb-and-pinky/573439/24 "2011-03-04T03:08:25Z")
> [@bup](#): > > I can around my left wrist, but not my right. What do I put? Hmm…I should have added an “Other” option. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-encircle-your-wrist-with-your-thumb-and-pinky/573439/25 "2011-03-04T03:11:06Z")
Crud, I clicked “no but almost”, but found out I could (barely) on my right wrist. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-encircle-your-wrist-with-your-thumb-and-pinky/573439/26 "2011-03-04T03:11:08Z")
Mine overlap, just like image **b** there. But if you can’t manage the other trick, you probably don’t have Marfan’s either (the end of my thumb doesn’t even reach the edge of my palm when I fold it across and my fingers down like image **a** ). One symptom of Marfan’s is unusually long thin limbs and digits, BTW. Another is hypermobility. I have crazy long fingers, yes, but not arms, legs, or toes. And was stiff as a board before I started doing so much yoga. ---
**Author:** ![Pyper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-encircle-your-wrist-with-your-thumb-and-pinky/573439/27 "2011-03-04T03:17:27Z")
Yep. I have skinny wrists and long fingers. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-encircle-your-wrist-with-your-thumb-and-pinky/573439/28 "2011-03-04T03:18:53Z")
Very slender poster who can do it here. ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-encircle-your-wrist-with-your-thumb-and-pinky/573439/29 "2011-03-04T03:37:25Z")
I can do it easily. I’m a scrawny mofo with long fingers. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-encircle-your-wrist-with-your-thumb-and-pinky/573439/30 "2011-03-04T03:46:48Z")
Yes, very easily with both hands. I have long fingers and am very thin. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-encircle-your-wrist-with-your-thumb-and-pinky/573439/31 "2011-03-04T03:51:37Z")
Nope. Short pinkies, thick wrists. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-encircle-your-wrist-with-your-thumb-and-pinky/573439/32 "2011-03-04T04:03:27Z")
Thick wrists and short fingers apparently. I’m at least two centimeters short with my left wrist and three centimeters short with my right. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-encircle-your-wrist-with-your-thumb-and-pinky/573439/33 "2011-03-04T05:05:38Z")
I miss by less than 1/8th of an inch. Isn’t whether you can or not supposed to indicate what size frame you have? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-encircle-your-wrist-with-your-thumb-and-pinky/573439/34 "2011-03-04T05:23:31Z")
No. Needed thumb to hold beer. ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-encircle-your-wrist-with-your-thumb-and-pinky/573439/35 "2011-03-04T05:44:14Z")
Have to correct myself - I answered yes, but it’s really yes I used to be able to - not even close any more. ---
**Author:** ![Electric\_Warrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-encircle-your-wrist-with-your-thumb-and-pinky/573439/36 "2011-03-04T05:52:06Z")
Yes, I can even cover all of the nail on my pinky with my thumb while doing it. Rather than a sign of Marfan syndrome, I’m fairly sure this is just a sign of me having a pretty small frame. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-encircle-your-wrist-with-your-thumb-and-pinky/573439/37 "2011-03-04T05:52:51Z")
That’s nothing. Can you touch the back of your hand with the middle finger of the same hand? I can. ---
**Author:** ![Dinaroozie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Dinaroozie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinaroozie)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-encircle-your-wrist-with-your-thumb-and-pinky/573439/38 "2011-03-04T06:00:54Z")
Duh. I answered then realised that I should take off my gloves and try again. Change one ‘not even close’ to a ‘just barely’. :o ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-encircle-your-wrist-with-your-thumb-and-pinky/573439/39 "2011-03-04T07:51:38Z")
> [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](#): > > I find it interesting that right now, 8 people say easily, 12 people say barely, and 11 people say not even close. But only 3 people say close. > > I expected the number of people who barely can do it and the number of people who almost can do it to be closer together. I was thinking that may depend on the definition of “close”. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-encircle-your-wrist-with-your-thumb-and-pinky/573439/40 "2011-03-04T08:18:47Z")
My fingers are long and my wrists are thin. I can do it easily with some finger length to spare. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-encircle-your-wrist-with-your-thumb-and-pinky/573439.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-encircle-your-wrist-with-your-thumb-and-pinky/573439.md?page=3)