# What can you do with your hands? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 6, 2005, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-do-with-your-hands/320316 "2005-09-06T08:01:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-do-with-your-hands/320316/21 "2005-09-07T07:24:18Z")
Using the other hand to get it in place, although I can almost do it without the other hand. [http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/MatrixFrog/handthing.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/MatrixFrog/handthing.jpg) Is there a name for this trick? ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-do-with-your-hands/320316/22 "2005-09-07T07:40:37Z")
> [@Trillionaire](#): > > The idea of anyone passing time by practicing this seems a little strange. Welcome to South African National Service - moments of blood-vomiting agony and riot-mob-control terror interspersed with hours and hours of numbskull-inducing boredom. šŸ™‚ As I say, Iā€™m extraordinarily grateful that I missed out on all of that!! Grim ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-do-with-your-hands/320316/23 "2005-09-07T08:04:11Z")
[I can dislocate and hyper-extend my thumb.](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v386/devilsnew/d66d07c1.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-do-with-your-hands/320316/24 "2005-09-07T08:33:57Z")
> [@TJdude825](#): > > Using the other hand to get it in place, although I can almost do it without the other hand. [handthing](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/MatrixFrog/handthing.jpg) > > Is there a name for this trick? The blessing of being a man with lady fingers, my fingers can just jump into that position. And that other thing of touching your index and pinkie behind the rest, piece of cake. I could have got my dadā€™s stubby olā€™ man hands. I always do that thing where you snap with your left hand, then with your right before slapping your left palm onto the end of your right fist and repeating the thing very fast. I had a friend who could bend just the last (furthest from palm) knuckle of his fingers. Iā€™ve never even come close. Just disgusting to look at too. Like he had boneitis. My poor little nieces (4 and 6) still havenā€™t been able to master the see-saw. I however have progressed to the double see-saw which amazes them. Hereā€™s one that Iā€™ve never been able to do and itā€™s pure torture. Take a rubber band, loop it around your thumb, across the back of your hand and over your pinkie. Now try to remove it without using your other hand or rubbing it against anything. My sister could, I never could. ---
**Author:** ![joazito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@joazito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joazito)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-do-with-your-hands/320316/25 "2005-09-07T11:41:02Z")
> [@Scarlett67](#): > > I can do a weird thing with my arms that no one else (so far) can do. I made it up when I was a kid. > > Before doing this, remove eyeglasses, hair clips, and any bulky earrings, watch, bracelets, etc. > > 1. Hold your arms out in front of you, palms facing out, thumbs pointing down. > > 2. Cross your right wrist over your left and clasp your hands together. > > 3. Rotate your forearms down and back up toward yourself, 270 degrees, so that now your clasped fingers are just below your chin. Your upper arms are now against your torso. > > 4. From this point forward you may loosen the clasping of your fingers as necessary, as long as they are still intertwined and touching. > > 5. Move your right elbow through and on top of your left, bending your arms as needed. Your forearms are now pointing slightly to your right, and your left wrist is bent downward so that your left fingers can meet the right. > > 6. This is where you will really need to loosen your fingers, but donā€™t let go! Now lift your arms up over your head and put your head through the opening between you forearms so that your arms are now around your neck, elbows in front, fingers clasped at the back. If you did it without letting go, congratulations! > > Yes, I am very strange, and I freely admit that this is possibly the dumbest Stupid Human Trick ever devised. Got it! Canā€™t wait to teach my kid this. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-do-with-your-hands/320316/26 "2005-09-07T11:54:21Z")
I can put my whole fist in my mouth. That may be a mouth trick more then a hand trick but it does impress/disgust/amaze people. ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-do-with-your-hands/320316/27 "2005-09-07T12:02:19Z")
I can smash a light bulb (or take out someones eye) at 6 paces with a beer bottle top and one hand. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-do-with-your-hands/320316/28 "2005-09-07T12:07:22Z")
> [@](#): > > I can however alternate between the Vulcan salute and an anti-Vulcan (middle two fingers together, index and baby fingers spread out) fairly rapidly which took me a while to get right - Iā€™m now working on alternating them on both hands, but in opposite time to each other. Hah! Iā€™ve been doing it two-handed both in and out of phase for years. I can clap my cupped hands together in front of my open mouth and make different notes by changing the size of the opening. I can pla songs this way. If you dilate your mouth while ā€œpoppingā€ you can duplicate the sound of water dripping. You can embarrass the hell out of your eight-year-old daughter this way. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-do-with-your-hands/320316/29 "2005-09-07T13:14:06Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > [I can dislocate and hyper-extend my thumb.](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v386/devilsnew/d66d07c1.jpg) :dubious: Methinks I spot a fake thumb tip. ---
**Author:** ![Pixisis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@Pixisis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixisis)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-do-with-your-hands/320316/30 "2005-09-07T14:58:36Z")
> [@Fern Forest](#): > > I had a friend who could bend just the last (furthest from palm) knuckle of his fingers. I can do that with all but my pinkies. My mother can do it with all her fingers and she gets a sharper bend. My father couldnā€™t do it at all, and my brothers can only do their pointing fingers. My sister could do it with pointing and middle fingers but not index. We used to wonder if it was some weird genetic thing like being able to curl your tongue. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-do-with-your-hands/320316/31 "2005-09-07T15:05:32Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > so Iā€™m learning how to do the [Coin Walk](http://www.coinmanipulation.com/Coin/Tricks/CoinWalk_WalkDown.html). Right now, Iā€™m pretty okay with my right hand and just starting out with my left. I can probably get at least 10 medium speed walks without dropping the coin. I hate you for showing me that site. My last day has been nothing but ā€œflip flip flip flip reverse flip flip flip flip reverse flip flip flip flipā€¦ad nauseumā€¦ā€ šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spatial_Rift_47)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-do-with-your-hands/320316/32 "2005-09-07T15:38:14Z")
> [@Monstre](#): > > And a little form of pen spinning picked up from watching a friend in college who did it. Iā€™ve seen many people do this, but I can never quite get the hang of it myself. Drives me nuts. ---
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-do-with-your-hands/320316/33 "2005-09-07T17:55:57Z")
> [@Spatial Rift 47](#): > > Iā€™ve seen many people do this, but I can never quite get the hang of it myself. Drives me nuts. Well, mine isnā€™t twirling it like a drumstick, around and around. Itā€™s one fixed spin at a time ā€“ starts out standing up between index, middle, and ring fingers. Index and ring finger to the outside, middle on the other side (closest to me). Spin is helped around by the thumb, as it rotates around the middle finger and back to original position (albeit, the hold is a little higher on the pen now). Pop the pen against the desk (or whatever) to move the hold back down and repeat. Gosh, that was truly mundane and pointlessā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![St\_Ides](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@St\_Ides](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St_Ides)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-do-with-your-hands/320316/34 "2005-09-07T19:34:18Z")
I can spin certain objects on the ā€œballā€ of my palm (that rounded part you get when open your hand, right at the base of your index finger and beside the web of your thumb.) If done properly and with the right object, it can spin several rotations, while looking like itā€™s floating above the palmā€¦ Looks kind of magical. I use it when handing things to other peopleā€¦ Remotes, cell phones, pretty much anything thatā€™ll fit in my palm and is balanced evenly. My favourite item is when handing them a knifeā€¦ Iā€™ll be holding it by the handle, then having it rotate a couple times as I hand it to them, with a final horzontal flip so the sharp edge of the blade is facing outwards, and the handle is pointing at themā€¦ I can also do a bunch of variations of the spin with a knifeā€¦ Such as holding it like you would when cutting a steak, and spinning it around to the classic ā€œpsychoā€ grip, all while staring someone in the eyeā€¦ I always get a good reaction when someone asks to borrow my cellphone, cause Iā€™ve got it practiced enough that it starts a spin when it leaves my pocket, does 1.5 revolutions and stops facing the person, all with a fully open handā€¦ And I can do it backwards when they hand it back. ---
**Author:** ![Daithi\_Lacha](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daithi_lacha/32/5430_2.png) [@Daithi\_Lacha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daithi_Lacha)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-do-with-your-hands/320316/35 "2005-09-07T19:56:38Z")
I can bend my fingers back to the extent that the top of my middle finger is almost completely parallel to the top of my hand. This is a byproduct of bullying in school that resulted in my fingers being bent for me (how thoughtful of those guys!) and now I guess I have loose tendons. In the same vein, I can bend my arm so far behind my back I can scratch the nape of my own neck & apply my own sunscreen. For a cheap larf, I bend back both arms, hop on one leg and yell, ā€œSale on me ā€“ 30% off!ā€ šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![marque\_elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71c47a/32.png) [@marque\_elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marque_elf)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-do-with-your-hands/320316/36 "2005-09-07T20:04:56Z")
> [@Pixisis](#): > > i can make some men weep and other men beg. šŸ˜ƒ Make meā€¦pleaseā€¦oh, please? ---
**Author:** ![Daithi\_Lacha](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daithi_lacha/32/5430_2.png) [@Daithi\_Lacha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daithi_Lacha)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-do-with-your-hands/320316/37 "2005-09-07T20:08:30Z")
> [@marque elf](#): > > Make meā€¦pleaseā€¦oh, please? You want her to pull a gun on you? ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-do-with-your-hands/320316/38 "2005-09-07T20:14:34Z")
I can cut a deck of cards one-handed; two different ways. ---
**Author:** ![Pixisis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@Pixisis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixisis)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-do-with-your-hands/320316/39 "2005-09-07T20:40:28Z")
> [@marque elf](#): > > Make meā€¦pleaseā€¦oh, please? which ? weep ? or beg ? oh, wait, youā€™re already begging, arenā€™t you ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-do-with-your-hands/320316/40 "2005-09-07T22:42:11Z")
> [@TJdude825](#): > > Using the other hand to get it in place, although I can almost do it without the other hand. [http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/MatrixFrog/handthing.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/MatrixFrog/handthing.jpg) > > Is there a name for this trick? Pffft, that ainā€™t nothinā€™! I pop my pinky finger out of the socket and have it touching my palm. See?: [http://winstonlf.com/hotaru/me/finger1.jpg](http://winstonlf.com/hotaru/me/finger1.jpg) [http://winstonlf.com/hotaru/me/finger2.jpg](http://winstonlf.com/hotaru/me/finger2.jpg) I actually tend to do this instead of crossing my fingers when Iā€™m anxious about something, believe it or not. Can do it with both hands, too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-do-with-your-hands/320316.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-do-with-your-hands/320316.md?page=3)