# Poll: Weird skill you learned long ago you can still do

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-weird-skill-you-learned-long-ago-you-can-still-do/388547>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [January 19, 2007, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-weird-skill-you-learned-long-ago-you-can-still-do/388547 "2007-01-19T02:44:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 4

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-weird-skill-you-learned-long-ago-you-can-still-do/388547/61 "2007-01-21T16:07:01Z")

</div>

I can yodel. [sub]Riiiiiiicolaaaahhh![/sub]

I can cross my eyes, and/or move one independent of the other: 'My favorite is to go to tennis games and watch the players (::moves right eye while left stays still::). One hits the ball to the other (::centers right eye and moves left over::). That one always scares kids, so I’m careful with it.

I can do simple, innate things people have never learned because “modern civilization” doesn’t require them:  
I can tie knots like nobody’s business.  
I can figure out North and South without a compass.  
I can build a good fire.

I’m useful.

Tripler  
FYI, no, I really can’t yodel. That’s a flat out lie.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Malienation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Malienation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malienation)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-weird-skill-you-learned-long-ago-you-can-still-do/388547/62 "2007-01-21T19:28:47Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=Dr. Drake]  
I can crack an egg one-handed (and use the other hand to separate the yolk from the white, icky but practical).  
[/QUOTE]  
I can still do this too, from working (25 years ago!) at a rest stop restaurant that did a huge breakfast business. Crack a case of eggs at a time open and you get pretty good at it. Periodically, I see chefs on cooking segments of tv shows get _applause_ for this! 😕 It ain’t brain surgery folks. Of course, I dunno if I can easily do one in each hand like the old days, though. ☹

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2007, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-weird-skill-you-learned-long-ago-you-can-still-do/388547/63 "2007-01-22T02:49:15Z")

</div>

I can stack some quarters on my upturned elbow, fling my arm forward and catch the coins in my hand.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Malienation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Malienation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malienation)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2007, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-weird-skill-you-learned-long-ago-you-can-still-do/388547/64 "2007-01-22T03:00:02Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=blondebear]  
I can stack some quarters on my upturned elbow, fling my arm forward and catch the coins in my hand.  
[/QUOTE]  
Oooh, there’s a trick I haven’t done in years. Most people try to do this trick incorrectly: they fling their forearms out, which tosses the coins forward. The trick is to avoid flinging the coins forward by yanking your elbow _down_ quickly. By then quickly extending your arms, the coins are thus fairly easy to grab (unless you gotta huge pile of them like the guy in that episode of **Happy Days** ).

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-weird-skill-you-learned-long-ago-you-can-still-do/388547.md?page=3)