CAN'T

Definition: CAN'T

CAN'T

1. A colloquial contraction for can not.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

Date "CAN'T" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1380. (references)

Compulsion

Phrase: I'll make him an offer he can't refuse.

Inferiority

Adjective: inferior, smaller; small; minor, less, lesser, deficient, minus, lower, subordinate, secondary; secondrate; (imperfect); sub, subaltern; thrown into the shade; weighed in the balance and found wanting; not fit to hold a candle to, can't hold a candle to.

Submission

Phrase: have it your own way; it can't be helped; amen; (assent); da locum melioribus; tempori parendum.

The Past

Phrase: time was; the time has been, the time hath been; you can't go home again; fuimus Troes; fruit Ilium; hoc erat in more majorum; "O call back yesterday, bid time return"; tempi passati; "the eternal landscape of the past"; ultimus Romanorum; "what's past is prologue"; "whose yesterdays look backward with a smile".

Crosswords: CAN'T

I'm an educated man, but I can't speak intelligently about the travel habits of William Santiago (A Few Good Men; writing credit: Aaron Sorkin)

Listen. If we can't break the ice, how 'bout we drown it (A Beautiful Mind; writing credit: Akiva Goldsman)

But it helps me remember and I need to remember Sometimes there's so much beauty in the world I feel like I can't take it, like my heart's going to cave in. (American Beauty; writing credit: Alan Ball)

Well you can't buy people (Indecent Proposal; writing credit: Amy Holden Jones)

What you know you can't explain, but you feel it. You've felt it your entire life, that there's something wrong with the world (The Matrix; writing credit: Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski.)

Can't get used to losin' you no matter what I try to do (Can't Get Used To Losing You; performing artist: Andy Williams)

I ain't Superman and I can't fly (Can't Stop This Thing We Started; performing artist: Bryan Adams)

Cos, I can't dance, I can't talk (I Can't Dance; performing artist: Genesis)

Baby, baby, can't you hear my heartbeat (Can't You Hear My Heartbeat; performing artist: Herman's Hermits)

Can't take my eyes off you. (Can't Take My Eyes Off of You; performing artist: Lauryn Hill)

You can't pray a lie. (references; author: Mark Twain)

A spoken word is not a sparrow. Once it flies out, you can't catch it. (references; author: Russian Proverb)

Alaska: 11,623 Eskimos Can't Be Wrong! (references; author: unknown)

Can't sleep?  Try counting your blessings. (references; author: unknown)

If it's tourist season, why can't we shoot them? (references; author: unknown)

The cat catchers can't catch caught cats. (references; author: unknown)

The Man Who Can't Stop (1973)

Who Says I Can't Ride a Rainbow? (1971)

You Can't Win 'Em All (1970)

Don't Look for Me at Places Where I Can't Be Found (1970)

I Can't... I Can't (1969)

Can't Take My Eyes Off of You (performing artist: Frankie Valli)

I can't dance (performing artist: Genesis)

Can't Stay Away From You (performing artist: Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine)

Can't You Hear My Heartbeat (performing artist: Herman's Hermits)

I Can't Wait Another Minute (performing artist: Hi-Five)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Books

• This Can't Be Tofu: 75 Recipes to Cook Something You Never Thought You Would--And Love Every Bite (reference)

• Who Says Elephants Can't Dance? Inside IBM's Historic Turnaround (reference)

• A Fire You Can't Put Out: The Civil Rights Life of Birmingham's Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth (Religion and American Culture (Tuscaloosa, Ala.).) (reference)

• Dressing Smart for Men: 101 Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make...and How to Avoid Them (reference)

• It's a Job, Not a Jail: How to Break Your Shackles When You Can't Afford to Quit (reference)

  (more book examples)

Theater & Movies

• Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken (reference)

• Can't Hardly Wait (reference)

• Asthma Asthma You Can't Stop Me (reference)

• Can't Buy Me Love (reference)

• Girls Can't Swim (reference)

  (more DVD examples; more video examples)

Music

• You Can't Argue With A Sick Mind [LIVE] (reference)

• Can't Back Down (reference)

• All That You Can't Leave Behind (reference)

• Can't Buy A Thrill [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED] (reference)

• You Can't Resist It [CD-SINGLE] (reference)

  (more classical music examples; more popular music examples)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

White-washed hydrographic signals in Taku Inlet area Who says engineers can't be artistic? Signal made by crew off of WESTDAHL. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection.

A diver collects eelgrass for transplanting. Eelgrass can't be grown in a laboratory so it must be collected from healthy sites and transported to the. Credit: NOAA Restoration Center.

For people who can't see well, here are some things to look into.

2 1/4 x 10. Credit: National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health.

Go ahead! Spread the word! You can't get AIDS from Alaska's state bird! : AIDS Isn't Spread By Mosquitos. Credit: National Library of Medicine.

High blood pressure...you can't tell by the way you feel : High Blood Pressure...Treat it for Life. Credit: National Library of Medicine.

Washington cook (to mistress in the hall)--"Shure, ye can't come in. We've gone into executive session, and we're cookin up something to surprise ye". Credit: Library of Congress.

Have the old furniture repaired : if you can't, split it into kindling wood. Credit: Library of Congress.

If dreams came true. Ump! Can't budge it! S'too heavy! Wait, I know what you ... Credit: Library of Congress.

You can't go wrong. Credit: Library of Congress.

"Move over - we can't stay in a holding pattern forever" / Herblock. Credit: Library of Congress.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

If, as I can't help suspecting, the dead also feel the pains of separation (and this may be one of their purgatorial sufferings), then for both lovers, and for all pairs of lovers without exception, bereavement is a universal and integral part of our experience of love

In the unlikely case we can't make up our minds, they're temporarily only guerrillas

Life, said Marvin dolefully, "loathe it or ignore it, you can't like it."

I can't help detesting my relations

Don't let that stop you; if you don't bet you can't win.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Health

In contrast, you can't catch shingles. (references)

The body then can't absorb calcium from food and starts removing it from the bones. (references)

Sometimes, however, even these drugs can't stop your body from rejecting the new kidney. (references)

Business

Most provinces in China still can't solve the problem of irrigation or the problems that arise from China’s frequent natural disasters of drought and flooding. (references)

But they have regulatory restrictions they can't cross traffic to the PSTN. Also most clients looking for a VPN solution are interested in it for their offices in different countries and interconnection among networks in different countries remains a problem. (references)

These regions provide an excellent future market even though U.S. franchisers must consider that they can't expect franchisees to cover the entire national territory at once. This will probably be a long process that will occur together with the modernization of cities throughout the country. (references)

Economic History

Chad

The most often noted candidate for food processing is mangos, produced in such great abundance during their harvest season that they can't be consumed locally. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Expressions using "CAN'T": beggars can't be choosers ♦ can't be helped ♦ can't happen ♦ can't hold a candle to ♦ can't say bo to a goose ♦ can't take a joke ♦ can't you raise the smile? ♦ he can't admire this enough ♦ he can't take a joke ♦ i bet you can't do it ♦ i can't abide him ♦ i can't accept that ♦ i can't afford it ♦ i can't bear him ♦ i can't carry it ♦ i can't come it ♦ i can't conceive why ♦ i can't cope with it ♦ i can't get over it! ♦ i can't help it ♦ i can't help saying that ♦ i can't keep silence ♦ i can't read your writing ♦ i can't remember ♦ i can't see through you ♦ i can't stand her! ♦ i can't stand him ♦ i can't stand it any longer ♦ i can't stomach him ♦ i can't take it any more ♦ i can't think what you mean ♦ I'll make him an offer he can't refuse ♦ it can't be done ♦ it can't be helped ♦ it can't be helped! ♦ it can't do any harm ♦ leopard can't change it's spots ♦ she can't take a joke ♦ this can't happen ♦ well! i suppose it can't be helped! ♦ you can't bamboozle me! ♦ you can't indulge every creature ♦ you can't smoke here. Additional references.

Beginning with "CAN'T": Can't-believe-a-word-he-says, Can't-do-a-thing-about-it, can't-for, can't-get-away-with-anything, Can't-stand-still-ski.

Containing "CAN'T": line-up-outside-the-door-and-you-can't-come-in-until-you're-quiet, they-can-run-but-they-can't-hide.

Albanian

s'ke ç'i bën (it can't be helped), nuk mund të bëj diçka me të (can't be helped). (various references)

Arabic 

‏لا مفر (it can't be helped), ‏لا أستطيع ذلك (it can't be helped). (various references)

Bulgarian 

не мога (cannot). (various references)

Chinese 

不許 (must not, not allow), 不興 (impermissible, out of fashion, outmoded), 别能 (Cannot). (various references)

Czech

zkr. od cannot. (various references)

Dutch

In een tank kun je niet wonen (You can't live in a tank). (various references)

Finnish

vai niin, et siis voi tulla (so you can't come), minun järkeni ei sitä käsitä (I can't make sense of it, it is beyond me, it passes my comprehension), enpä mene vannomaan (I can't swear to it), en voi päästä tuosta perille (I can't make that out), en voi keksiä (I can't think of), en saa tästä selvää (I can't make this out), en muista hänen nimeään (I can't think of his name), en jaksa tehdä sitä (I can't manage it, it is too much for me), en jaksa hänen kanssaan (he has exhausted my patience, I can't do with him), en ehdi tulla (I can't manage to come), ei mahda mitään (it can't be helped, there is nothing to be done about it). (various references)

French

on n'y peut rien (it can't be helped), on ne peut rien y faire (it can't be helped), on n'a pas le droit de fumer ici (you can't smoke here), je ne peux pas m'empêcher de dire ça (I can't help saying that), je ne peux pas l'accepter (I can't accept that), impossible n'est pas français (there is no such word as can't). (various references)

German

nicht können. (various references)

Greek 

συντομία αντί cannot, δεν μπορώ (cannot). (various references)

Hebrew 

אין מנוס (it can't be helped). (various references)

Hungarian

nem tud (cannot, have a strong dislike for sg, to be unequal to sg). (various references)

Japanese Kanji 

糸が絡まって解けない (the thread gets entangled so it can't be disentangled), 相撲にならない (can't hold a candle to, is no match for), 灯台下暗し (can't see the forest for the trees), 掛け替えのない (money can't buy, thing with no substitute), 敵わない (can't do, no match for, unable, unbearable), 仕方無い (be annoyed, be impatient, can't stand it, it can't be helped, it's inevitable, it's no use), 仕方が無い (being annoyed, being impatient, can't stand it, it can't be helped, it's inevitable, it's no use), 仕方がない (being annoyed, being impatient, can't stand it, it can't be helped, it's inevitable, it's no use), 仕方ない (be annoyed, be impatient, can't stand it, it can't be helped, it's inevitable, it's no use), 仕方の無い (be annoyed, be impatient, can't stand it, it can't be helped, it's inevitable, it's no use), 仕方のない (be annoyed, be impatient, can't stand it, it can't be helped, it's inevitable, it's no use), 仕様が無い (It can't be helped, It is inevitable, Nothing can be done), 仕様がない (It can't be helped, It is inevitable, Nothing can be done), 如何せん (can't be helped). (various references)

Japanese Katakana 

すもうにならない (can't hold a candle to, is no match for), しかたがない (being annoyed, being impatient, can't stand it, it can't be helped, it's inevitable, it's no use), しかたない (be annoyed, be impatient, can't stand it, it can't be helped, it's inevitable, it's no use), しかたのない (be annoyed, be impatient, can't stand it, it can't be helped, it's inevitable, it's no use), しようがない (It can't be helped, It is inevitable, Nothing can be done), かなわない (be beyond one's power, be unable, can't do, no match for, unable, unbearable), かけがえのない (money can't buy, thing with no substitute), いかんせん (can't be helped), とうだいもとくらし (can't see the forest for the trees). (various references)

Korean 

수 있지 말라 (Cannot). (various references)

Pig Latin

an'tcay.(various references)

Portuguese

impossibilidade (impossibility, preclusion). (various references)

Romanian

te desfid s-o faci (I bet you can't do it), nu-mi pot imagina ce vrei sã spui (I can't think what you mean), nu-i nimic de fãcut (it can't be helped, it's no go), nu-ţi pot citi scrisul (I can't read your writing), nu pot sã-l suport (I can't stand him), nu pot preveni aceastã (I can't help it), nu poţi face tuturor (you can't indulge every creature), n-am sã-mi mai pot reveni (I can't get over it), n-am ochi sã-l vãd (I can't stomach him), n-am încotro (I cannot help it, I can't help it), la mine nu se prinde (you can't bamboozle me), fie! cred cã n-avem încotro (well! I suppose it can't be helped), asta n-o pot suporta (I can't come it). (various references)

Russian 

кажется не мочь (can not seem to, can't seem to), он не может этим налюбоваться (he can't admire this enough), не мочь позволить себе (can not afford, can't afford). (various references)

Serbo-Croatian

on ne može dovoljno da se nadivi (he can't admire this enough). (various references)

Spanish

presente de no poder (canna, cannot), no puede. (various references)

Swedish

kan inte (cannot). (various references)

Turkish

yapamamak (cannot, fail), gücü yetmemek (cannot), edememek (cannot). (various references)

Ukrainian

нічого не вдієш (it can't be helped). (various references)

Vietnamese 

người Ca-na-đa (canadian). (various references)

Misspellings

"CAN'T" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: acant, caint, canat, canet, canit, cannpt, cannst, cannt, canti, cantt, cant't, Cantv, cantz, Capnut, Caunt, cha'n, ciant, cinct, cint, cna't, cnt, ecant, ocant, rcant. (additional references)

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

-1 letter: cant.

-2 letters: act, ant, can, cat, tan.

-3 letters: an, at, na, ta.