# What useless skills can you NOT do? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 13, 2003, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-useless-skills-can-you-not-do/201423 "2003-09-13T19:18:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-useless-skills-can-you-not-do/201423/1 "2003-09-13T19:18:50Z")
Inspired by the useless skills thread, what seemingly easy tasks can EVERYONE do…but you, that is. Me? I cannot roll my tongue in any way, shape, or form. I’ve heard that it’s genetic, so no matter how hard I try, I’ll never be able to do it. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![RotorHead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85e7bf/32.png) [@RotorHead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RotorHead)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-useless-skills-can-you-not-do/201423/2 "2003-09-13T19:48:16Z")
I have never learned to whistle loudly, like the way you would, to alert someone. I can do the standard lips-pursed soft whistle useful for keeping a tune, but beyond that, nothing. I tried and tried. Maybe someone could give me lessons. ---
**Author:** ![Horseflesh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horseflesh/32/7502_2.png) [@Horseflesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horseflesh)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-useless-skills-can-you-not-do/201423/3 "2003-09-13T21:05:07Z")
I cannot roll my R’s. I can never see the image in a Magice Eye picture. My guydar is broken. If I’m standing around talking to a couple of guys and a pretty woman walks by, their heads will immediately swivel to follow her while I just stand there blithely talking away. I am also unable to pick up any ‘signals’ directed at me. My wife has to tell me that I’ve been hit on. ---
**Author:** ![quiltguy154](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ad7895/32.png) [@quiltguy154](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy154)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-useless-skills-can-you-not-do/201423/4 "2003-09-13T21:17:52Z")
Can’t do the Vulcan peace sign \V/ They threw me out of the last Trekkie Convention. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-useless-skills-can-you-not-do/201423/5 "2003-09-13T21:31:28Z")
I can’t tie cherry stems in knots with my tongue. I can’t do that fingers-in-the-mouth whistle thing. ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-useless-skills-can-you-not-do/201423/6 "2003-09-13T21:45:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RotorHead \* > \*\*I have never learned to whistle loudly, like the way you would, to alert someone. I can do the standard lips-pursed soft whistle useful for keeping a tune, but beyond that, nothing. I tried and tried. Maybe someone could give me lessons. \*\* Yeah, me either. I always wanted to do that at concerts. ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-useless-skills-can-you-not-do/201423/7 "2003-09-13T22:16:42Z")
I can’t snap my fingers, and can barely whistle, only if I breathe in instead of out. I had amblyopia as a kid, so I’ll never see Magic Eye pictures without eye muscle surgery (and _that ain’t gonna happen thankyouverymuch._) ---
**Author:** ![Spellbound](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@Spellbound](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spellbound)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-useless-skills-can-you-not-do/201423/8 "2003-09-13T22:21:12Z")
I can’t do a cartwheel. ---
**Author:** ![DreadCthulhu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DreadCthulhu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DreadCthulhu)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-useless-skills-can-you-not-do/201423/9 "2003-09-13T23:28:52Z")
I am unable to snap my fingers, or do the whole whistle while my fingers are in my mouth thing. ---
**Author:** ![RotorHead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85e7bf/32.png) [@RotorHead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RotorHead)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-useless-skills-can-you-not-do/201423/10 "2003-09-13T23:35:34Z")
Hey, if everybody is gonna claim that whistling thing too, maybe we should have a large class. We need a teacher though. ---
**Author:** ![RotorHead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85e7bf/32.png) [@RotorHead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RotorHead)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-useless-skills-can-you-not-do/201423/11 "2003-09-13T23:45:16Z")
Oh, I thought of another one, and now I am hanging my head in shame. Please don’t laugh too hard. Remember those stupid little paddle games with the wooden paddle and elastic attached to a rubber ball? I could never work those things. I could get one or two successful swats at it before I completely lost control of where the ball was going, and fouled up. ---
**Author:** ![WomanofScorn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@WomanofScorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WomanofScorn)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-useless-skills-can-you-not-do/201423/12 "2003-09-13T23:58:14Z")
I can’t juggle. I try and try, but apparently I have terrible hand/eye coordination. I can’t spit. When I try it just dribbles down my chin. I know that sounds nasty, but it’s true. I also can’t flip a coin and catch it. Again…hand/eye coordination. So so many things I can’t do lol. ---
**Author:** ![Magickly\_Delicious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magickly\_Delicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magickly_Delicious)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-useless-skills-can-you-not-do/201423/13 "2003-09-14T00:07:45Z")
I can’t whistle. ---
**Author:** ![peri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/67e7ee/32.png) [@peri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peri)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-useless-skills-can-you-not-do/201423/14 "2003-09-14T00:23:05Z")
I can’t snap my fingers. Well, I can, sort of, but only the right hand and I have to use the ring finger instead of the middle one. On the other hand (finger?) I _can_ do the bending-just-the first-joint thing with all my fingers. I can’t wiggle my ears, but I can wiggle my nose, bunny style. Life is a trade off. ---
**Author:** ![Rayn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85e7bf/32.png) [@Rayn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayn)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-useless-skills-can-you-not-do/201423/15 "2003-09-14T00:31:34Z")
> [@](#): > > I cannot roll my R’s. > > I can never see the image in a Magice Eye picture. > > My guydar is broken. If I’m standing around talking to a couple of guys and a pretty woman walks by, their heads will immediately swivel to follow her while I just stand there blithely talking away. I am also unable to pick up any ‘signals’ directed at me. My wife has to tell me that I’ve been hit on. **Horseflesh** I also suffer from the exact same afflictions, except my guydar occassionly gives into fits of blips and imaginary readings. How odd. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-useless-skills-can-you-not-do/201423/16 "2003-09-14T00:37:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RotorHead \* > \*\*Oh, I thought of another one, and now I am hanging my head in shame. Please don’t laugh too hard. Remember those stupid little paddle games with the wooden paddle and elastic attached to a rubber ball? I could never work those things. I could get one or two successful swats at it before I completely lost control of where the ball was going, and fouled up. \*\* I suck mightily at those. ---
**Author:** ![RotorHead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85e7bf/32.png) [@RotorHead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RotorHead)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-useless-skills-can-you-not-do/201423/17 "2003-09-14T00:47:31Z")
But on the up-side for me, I _can_ roll my tongue, see the image in the magic eye picture, do the vulcan sign, tie a cherry stem with my tongue, wiggle my ears, and my guydar works. ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-useless-skills-can-you-not-do/201423/18 "2003-09-14T01:11:53Z")
Hmm, tongue rolling, vulcan signs, stem-tying, ear wiggling, guy(girl?)dar, gaydar and basic whistling all intact. I cannot, however, ever see the Magic Eye pictures, nor can I do the two-finger in the mouth whistle thing. Nor can I stand on one foot for more than about 2 seconds. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-useless-skills-can-you-not-do/201423/19 "2003-09-14T01:19:57Z")
Ooh, you people reminded me of more: Also cannot whistle loudly (just a soft whistle to a song…altough I do have about a two and a half octave range with my lips, it’s just not loud). Nor can I whistle w/ the finger in mouth method. Magic eyes? Well, kick me out of Hogwart’s, never gotten one to work ever, and I have perfect 20/20 vision. ---
**Author:** ![whatmove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecc23a/32.png) [@whatmove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whatmove)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-useless-skills-can-you-not-do/201423/20 "2003-09-14T01:22:43Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by OpalCat_ > > > [@](#): > > > > _Originally posted by RotorHead_ > > \*\*Remember those stupid little paddle games…? > > I suck mightily at those.\*\* Oh, so good to hear. I’m usually a very coordinated person but have never been able to get the ball back to the paddle more than twice, and it’s mostly by accident. I always felt like such a doofus trying. Also, I’ve never been able to keep a hula hoop up. -wm [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-useless-skills-can-you-not-do/201423.md?page=2)