# @#%!!!! ##@$#@ Shift key!!!
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shift-key/175056
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [May 13, 2003, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shift-key/175056 "2003-05-13T21:15:27Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2003, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shift-key/175056/1 "2003-05-13T21:15:27Z")
Okay, I wish I had some clever rant about the evil mindedness of keyboards. But I don’t.
I’m working on this document. An army document (with the normal 5 million acronyms included).
The left side shift key keeps sticking. I carefully took out the key and cleaned the keyboard, but it’s STILL sticking.
I’m pretty good at software, but the mechanical parts of things sometimes elude me. Does anyone know of the proper way to unstick a fussy key?
GRRRR
---
### Author:  [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2003, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shift-key/175056/2 "2003-05-13T21:21:18Z")
Why don’t you just Pouilly-fuisse?
---
### Author:  [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2003, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shift-key/175056/3 "2003-05-13T21:22:21Z")
I have no advice, but your post inspired me to peer into my keyboard. It’s truly disgusting. Now I want to clean it, but I fear what might come out of it. Yuck.
---
### Author:  [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2003, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shift-key/175056/4 "2003-05-13T21:38:54Z")
Fuck that, let’s get into the evil that is th’insert’ key. 😃
---
### Author:  [@Teegus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teegus)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2003, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shift-key/175056/5 "2003-05-13T21:46:20Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Giraffe \*
> \*\*I have no advice, but your post inspired me to peer into my keyboard. It’s truly disgusting. Now I want to clean it, but I fear what might come out of it. Yuck. \*\*
I cleaned mine out two days ago. I thought it was naturally a mottled brownish dark grey. Turns out it was only off-white. :eek:
Who knew?
---
### Author:  [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2003, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shift-key/175056/6 "2003-05-13T21:46:28Z")
How do you mean “sticking”? Is the key physically sticking or the shift _function_ sticking?
---
### Author:  [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2003, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shift-key/175056/7 "2003-05-13T21:53:20Z")
When I key it, about half the time it kindof “sticks” and won’t go down (an no comments from the peanut gallery you minds in the gutter folks :D).
Which not only stalls my typing speed, but hurts my finger. (damn delicate brit skin).
---
### Author:  [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2003, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shift-key/175056/8 "2003-05-13T21:59:39Z")
My suggestion is to hit it rapid fire about 100 times in a row.
click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click
That should loosen the sucker up for ya.