# Pinky or Testicle **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 29, 2010, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinky-or-testicle/558773 "2010-10-29T15:10:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mauvaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mauvaise/32/11084_2.png) [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinky-or-testicle/558773/1 "2010-10-29T15:10:53Z")
I was talking with a male friend that almost lost the top half of his pinky. He told me that he felt very lucky and would have been very depressed and self-conscious if he’d lost the finger. In fact, he believes now that he’d rather lose a testicle than part of his finger. I felt that most guys would feel differently and he disagreed, so I told him I’d conduct a poll. So guys, I ask you: Would you rather lose the top half only of your pinky (either hand) or a testicle? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinky-or-testicle/558773/2 "2010-10-29T15:14:13Z")
I voted pinky, but you didn’t include a choice of which hand. I’ll keep my left pinky over a testicle. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinky-or-testicle/558773/3 "2010-10-29T15:15:14Z")
For the love of God, Monty Hall, what’s behind door #3? ---
**Author:** ![Mauvaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mauvaise/32/11084_2.png) [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinky-or-testicle/558773/4 "2010-10-29T15:15:58Z")
**tdn** It doesn’t matter which hand. It’s pinky of either hand (you pick) or testicle. And it’s the top half of your pinky only, not the entire finger. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinky-or-testicle/558773/5 "2010-10-29T15:16:26Z")
Pinky. I have a friend who’s missing half his index finger. He gets lots of laughs with it. I’d be doing the magic detachable finger trick for ever kid I knew, with the big reveal at the end - no finger! Plus you could pretend to be picking your nose, your ear, hell, you could make it look like you’ve got your finger in your eye socket. With a missing pinkie I’d get a big tattoo and pretend I was former Yakuza. Damn, now I’m tempted to lop off my finger, it sounds so fun. ---
**Author:** ![Mauvaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mauvaise/32/11084_2.png) [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinky-or-testicle/558773/6 "2010-10-29T15:17:01Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > For the love of God, Monty Hall, what’s behind door #3? The donkey by which you’ll lose either your pinky or testicle, what else could it be? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinky-or-testicle/558773/7 "2010-10-29T15:25:18Z")
> [@Mauvaise](#): > > **tdn** It doesn’t matter which hand. It’s pinky of either hand (you pick) or testicle. And it’s the top half of your pinky only, not the entire finger. If I get to pick, then Zonk the Donkey can take my right pinky. ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinky-or-testicle/558773/8 "2010-10-29T15:29:38Z")
I figure you can get a silicon testicle inserted and no one would be the wiser, so i vote testicle. ---
**Author:** ![Mauvaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mauvaise/32/11084_2.png) [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinky-or-testicle/558773/9 "2010-10-29T15:33:27Z")
> [@Darryl\_Lict](#): > > I figure you can get a silicon testicle inserted and no one would be the wiser, so i vote testicle. Well, for that matter, one can get a prosthetic finger, so wouldn’t that level the playing field even again? ETA: I knew you Dopers wouldn’t let me down. My friend asked if I mentioned the implant and I said, “No, because where I posted the online poll the people would already know about them.” ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinky-or-testicle/558773/10 "2010-10-29T15:35:40Z")
Pinky. Othwise I’d probably break down and cry every time somebody asked “How they hangin’?” ---
**Author:** ![ramel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb8c5e/32.png) [@ramel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ramel)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinky-or-testicle/558773/11 "2010-10-29T15:36:29Z")
Although I’d miss being able to clack, I’d be inconvenienced even more from lack of a pinky! I type a lot. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinky-or-testicle/558773/12 "2010-10-29T15:37:48Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > I voted pinky, but you didn’t include a choice of which hand. I’ll keep my left pinky over a testicle. Guitar player? Me too. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinky-or-testicle/558773/13 "2010-10-29T15:59:27Z")
I’d definitely give up the testicle. It’s not really performing a function that the other one can’t make up for. What’s the difference between two and one? Nothing that I can tell. But you can have my whole hand before I give up my penis. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinky-or-testicle/558773/14 "2010-10-29T16:04:26Z")
Top half of the pinky. I’d either fix it up with a little metal hook on the end, or a peg"leg". ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinky-or-testicle/558773/15 "2010-10-29T16:05:26Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > I’d definitely give up the testicle. It’s not really performing a function that the other one can’t make up for. What’s the difference between two and one? Nothing that I can tell. > > But you can have my whole hand before I give up my penis. It’s not like you need _both_ hands for your penis, right? ---
**Author:** ![Mauvaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mauvaise/32/11084_2.png) [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinky-or-testicle/558773/16 "2010-10-29T16:28:02Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > It’s not like you need _both_ hands for your penis, right? HA! Good point 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinky-or-testicle/558773/17 "2010-10-29T16:31:16Z")
Another guitarist, and another vote for pinky on the non-fret hand. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinky-or-testicle/558773/18 "2010-10-29T16:46:29Z")
How long until a left-handed guitarist posts? ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinky-or-testicle/558773/19 "2010-10-29T17:26:44Z")
Testicle, hands down, and it boggles my mind that any guy would say anything different other than out of fear of feeling less manly. First, no one would even know except your partner, who probably wouldn’t care a whole lot. Second, you lose no functionality, after all, that’s why we have two. Third, you can always get a prosthetic. OTOH, missing a pinky is fairly visible to everyone, you definitely lose at least some functionality, and a prosthetic doesn’t recover the same level of appearance. On top of all that, I’m a pianist and a gamer, both of which are severely limited by losing either pinky, so there’s plenty of worse mutilations I’d take before giving up my pinky on either hand. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinky-or-testicle/558773/20 "2010-10-29T17:28:39Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > I’d definitely give up the testicle. It’s not really performing a function that the other one can’t make up for. What’s the difference between two and one? Nothing that I can tell. Maybe it’s due to all the engineers in my family, but I prefer a system with some redundancy in it. If I had to have a testicle removed somewhere down the road for some medical reason or another, it wouldn’t bother me much if I still had a backup. But if I was already down to one testicle to begin with, that would be a whole 'nother story. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinky-or-testicle/558773.md?page=2)