# I can't whistle **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 2, 2006, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-whistle/355064 "2006-05-02T04:48:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Acqua\_Minerale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f6c823/32.png) [@Acqua\_Minerale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acqua_Minerale)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-whistle/355064/1 "2006-05-02T04:48:30Z")
I wish I could. I have tried. I was even in a play once where I had to whistle. We had to change it to humming. Could I learn at this point. I wish I could whistle. What could be wrong with my pucker? I guess I could never pick a girl if I worked construction. Or signal Davey Crockett if I wnet back in time and had to use bird calls. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-whistle/355064/2 "2006-05-02T05:58:05Z")
Neither can I. Well, at least not very well. I’ve tried, and people have tried to teach me, but no one has been able to. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-whistle/355064/3 "2006-05-02T06:01:31Z")
> [@Mudshark](#): > > Neither can I. Well, at least not very well. I’ve tried, and people have tried to teach me, but no one has been able to. Ditto. I can’t say that it concerns me all that much though. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-whistle/355064/4 "2006-05-02T06:17:31Z")
I can make a feeble sort of whilstly/asthmatic wheeze if I try to whistle whilst inhaling. But that’s it. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-whistle/355064/5 "2006-05-02T06:18:11Z")
Yeah, it really doesn’t bother me either. It’s more of a source of amusement for friends. ---
**Author:** ![Acqua\_Minerale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f6c823/32.png) [@Acqua\_Minerale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acqua_Minerale)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-whistle/355064/6 "2006-05-02T06:18:21Z")
Anyone look into medical treatment for this? ---
**Author:** ![Mrs\_O\_Malley\_s\_Cow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Mrs\_O\_Malley\_s\_Cow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs_O_Malley_s_Cow)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-whistle/355064/7 "2006-05-02T07:19:09Z")
I can only whistle when I am not really trying to. The pucker relaxes and it just happens. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-whistle/355064/8 "2006-05-02T07:51:19Z")
Can’t whistle, can’t snap my fingers either. Maybe I’m deformed… ---
**Author:** ![MissMossie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@MissMossie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissMossie)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-whistle/355064/9 "2006-05-02T15:44:21Z")
I’m another non-whistler. I wish I could, but I don’t lose sleep over it or anything. ---
**Author:** ![Encinitas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Encinitas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Encinitas)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-whistle/355064/10 "2006-05-02T15:54:15Z")
No whistle here either. So sad… ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-whistle/355064/11 "2006-05-02T17:19:15Z")
Me neither. Took me a while to learn how to snap my fingers. ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-whistle/355064/12 "2006-05-02T18:06:17Z")
Add me to the list of non - whistlers. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-whistle/355064/13 "2006-05-02T18:16:11Z")
Tragically, I used to be able to whistle. I was really good at it, too. Then I got braces. The metal got in the way, so no whistling. I really looked forward to getting my braces off and my whistle back. Only…once the braces came off, I could no longer whistle! The whole shape of my mouth was different, and I’ve never been able to figure it out again. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-whistle/355064/14 "2006-05-03T00:20:04Z")
I’m same as **Mudshark** , many people have tried to teach me. I’d like to learn. I don’t need to know how to whistle tunes or anything…I’d really just like to know how to emit that short sharp piercing shriek that people can do. You know, so I can use it to get people’s attention. Also I’d like to learn to wolf-whistle. If I ever get a parrot again, I’d love to teach him to wolf-whistle. I suppose the SO could teach him but it’s just not the same! ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-whistle/355064/15 "2006-05-03T00:41:11Z")
Another non-whistler here. Actually, the fact that so many have posted to this thread makes me feel better. Oh, and I can’t ride a bicycle, either. ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-whistle/355064/16 "2006-05-03T00:56:22Z")
Same here. Can’t whistle, can’t snap my fingers. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-whistle/355064/17 "2006-05-03T02:37:11Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Tragically, I used to be able to whistle. I was really good at it, too. Then I got braces. The metal got in the way, so no whistling. I really looked forward to getting my braces off and my whistle back. > > Only…once the braces came off, I could no longer whistle! The whole shape of my mouth was different, and I’ve never been able to figure it out again. I’m not alone! I’ve taught myself to whistle again, but it’s nowhere close to what I used to be able to do. It’s like my whistle has laryngitis or something. ---
**Author:** ![purple\_haze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/db5fbb/32.png) [@purple\_haze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purple_haze)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-whistle/355064/18 "2006-05-03T04:39:19Z")
I can’t do a cartwheel. I always wanted to do that. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-whistle/355064/19 "2006-05-03T04:55:30Z")
I can’t ride a bike either. Or skate. On anything. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-whistle/355064/20 "2006-05-03T05:37:43Z")
Err… I hate to break the “I can’t whistle” support-group y’all got going here but as someone who whistles all the time (it’s a great activity when you have nothing else to do, since you can do it anywhere without bringing any special tools along, and it’s musical), I am here to tell you that you can indeed whistle. You just need to practice more. There’s not really anything I can tell you beyond that, but let me bring some more positive encouragement: _ **Believe in yourself! Follow your dreams!** _ There. Feeling it now? Good. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-whistle/355064.md?page=2)