# Motor mouth

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motor-mouth/344943>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 17, 2006, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motor-mouth/344943 "2006-02-17T14:05:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![SiriusB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@SiriusB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiriusB)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motor-mouth/344943/1 "2006-02-17T14:05:28Z")

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Hi,  
This has been bothering me since I was a kid. I used to do this little trick with my mouth to make it seem as if I am smoking a cig. I don’t know if you have heard of this trick, so here goes.

1. Fill your mouth with air.
2. Press the back of the palm of your hand against your closed mouth.
3. Now, without swallowing any of the air, try to compress the air by simultaneously applying more pressure with your palm and closing your mouth (er, biting).
4. After about two or so seconds, move away your palm, open your mouth 50% (like an upright oval) and ehale softly.

What you will see, if my instructions were effective, is a cloud of vapor wih the opacity of a medium fog.

I am fairly certain that it is a saturated water vapor cloud. Or, could it be compressed air? Can our mouth be effective enough compressor of air?

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**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motor-mouth/344943/2 "2006-02-17T15:38:50Z")

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I’ve been doing that for years and never figured out what it is. Water vapor from my lungs is my best bet, but IANAD.

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**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motor-mouth/344943/3 "2006-02-17T16:07:16Z")

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I just did it.

COOL…a new way to amuse myself!

😃

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**Author:** ![SiriusB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@SiriusB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiriusB)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2006, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motor-mouth/344943/4 "2006-02-18T21:15:36Z")

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No one else tried?

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**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2006, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motor-mouth/344943/5 "2006-02-18T22:05:54Z")

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I can’t do it. ☹

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**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2006, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motor-mouth/344943/6 "2006-02-18T22:13:18Z")

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I did something similar as a kid. My way didn’t require hands. You just inhaled, closed your lips, and forced as much pressure into your mouth as you could for a few seconds. Sadly, my way seems to cause extensive brain damage as much as I am able to tell.

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**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2006, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motor-mouth/344943/7 "2006-02-18T23:01:26Z")

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It’s probably Intelligent Design.