"I can't..(fill in the blank)

I can’t remember peoples names if I only hear them, but if I see them written down, no problem.

I have an excellent spatial sense, but I go by landmarks, not street names, so I’m terrible at trying to give anyone else directions.

I can whistle using lips and tongue, but have never mastered the two finger version despite lots of trying.

I can row a boat and paddle a canoe, can you?

Other people: “Can’t you hear how off you are?”
Me: “Yeah, but by the time I hear it it’s too late to do anything about it.”

Can’t snap my fingers, either.


The normal way to pronounce an R is by raising the back of the tongue to the palate. Raise the tip of the tongue instead to roll the R.

I’m ok with getting landmarks if the person doesn’t give me too many. Where I grew up some people give you five landmarks to watch for before where you actually have to turn.

After reading the latest “I Can’ts” I have another to add.

I cannot touch my toes from either the standing position or the sitting on the floor position. Never have, even as a kid. I’m not nor ever have been overweight, I’m in fairly good shape but unless I do a lot of bouncing, and I mean a lot, I can’t do it.

Most smart phones have a voice to text feature. When you go to the text app, you’ll see a tiny microphone icon. Just tap that and speak normally, and the words magically appear on the screen. To end a sentence, just say “period”.

I can’t remember peoples names. Yes I’ve tried all the various mnemonic devices, still no luck, either I forget the device or I have to spend about 20 seconds working my way through it at which point the time in the conversation when I needed the name has passed.

I can read an entire book or watch an entire movie and not remember the names of the principal characters. When discussing it with my wife I’ll have to say “That black haired woman who was the love interest of the Hero.”

Oddly enough I’m really good at remembering numbers.

I can remember 17,159,327. I chose it as my favorite number after confirming it to be a prime.

Damn! I can’t whistle for my dog when I’m wearing my face mask. Can anyone whistle with their face mask on?

I can swim pretty well, above and below water. What I can’t do is do a somersault below water, frontwards or backwards. I always get water up my nose and into my sinuses. I have to hold my nose.

I’m a whiz at algebra and trigonometry. Geometry is kind of a struggle but I can slog my way through it. Calculus mostly eludes me. During my senior year I was out for two weeks due to an illness. I could never pick back up from where I left off to where the class was when I got back. Some mysterious link eluded me, or my brain was just being a calc-block.

My partner can’t fathom algebra where letters replace numbers. She also can’t read a Roman numeral clock at all, and a regular analog is a struggle too.

I can’t lie or bluff. I’m fairly well written and spoken, but ask me to come up with a false or made up definition for a word, or lie about the cards in my hand, make a bet against something I’m likely to lose, to the more serious kind of lies, I falter, stutter, break eye contact, mumble, etc. I’m crap at poker, and probably at being a criminal.

Can’t roll my R’s if my arse depended on it.

Have you tried using a wheel chair?

Despite several years on a swim team, I have never once performed a proper “flip turn.” I’m very comfortable in the water, but this move is beyond my ability.

I can’t wink my right eye. I can wink my left eye fine. I can’t snap fingers on my right hand. Left hand I can do fine though that ability is fading some. I am horrible at remembering names. There are two colleagues, one I’ve had for 20+ years, the other for about 5. Sometimes I just can’t recall their names. I know perfectly well they are, the names just won’t come. Other times it’s fine.

:trophy:

I Can’t Get No Satisfaction. This is not a joke answer.

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter. This is.

Hell, I can’t even whistle without a mask. I can sort of fake whistle by making a sharp “S” sound but that’s it.

I can’t wink my right eye either. I have trouble with names not related to my work; that’s because I the librarian at an elementary school and have my brain filled with names of students (including some who are long gone).

I can’t surf.

I can’t
I can’t
I can’t stand losing

My solution for that, in my food-preparation apron-wearing days, was to use one with long strings that I could wrap around to the front and tie in front. And if the strings are too short? I looped them through my side belt loops and tied them in front.

These days my only apron is a shop apron, and it has plastic fasteners, like those on backpack straps, so it’s a bit of a moot point.

I can’t put a bra on by hooking it behind me. I have to hook it in front, spin it around, and then put my arms through the straps. Then adjust.

:smiley: