# Give me some mundane skills to learn

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-some-mundane-skills-to-learn/463569>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [September 14, 2008, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-some-mundane-skills-to-learn/463569 "2008-09-14T16:39:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![unspun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b9bd4f/32.png) [@unspun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unspun)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-some-mundane-skills-to-learn/463569/21 "2008-09-15T19:37:56Z")

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Twiddling a coin or pen around your fingers.

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**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-some-mundane-skills-to-learn/463569/22 "2008-09-15T20:39:27Z")

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Origami and/or balloon animals!

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**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-some-mundane-skills-to-learn/463569/23 "2008-09-15T21:04:27Z")

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That paddle-ball-on-elastic-string thing. I’m fairly coordinated in most respects but I’ve never been able to do this. Of course, I try for about 30 seconds once every few years or so, so I shouldn’t bitch about it.

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**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-some-mundane-skills-to-learn/463569/24 "2008-09-15T22:29:59Z")

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Learn to whistle with your tongue against the roof of your mouth rather than pursing your lips. Then confuse people by smiling as you whistle. It drove my kid nuts for years, then she worked out the trick and now dives me nuts by doing it _all the time_.

Similar to the paddle and ball, holding the string and repeatedly punching a balloon so it keeps returning like a punching bag.

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