no can do

English

Etymology

From Chinese Pidgin English, calquing Chinese 不能做 (bùnéng zuò, “cannot do”).

Interjection

no can do

1. (informal) I cannot do it.
   • 1981, “I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)”, in Private Eyes, performed by Hall & Oates:

     But I can't go for that, no no / No can do

   • 2018, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely, Avengers: Infinity War:

     Tony Stark: If Thanos needs all six, why don't we just stick this one down a garbage disposal?
     Doctor Strange: No can do.
     Wong: We swore an oath to protect the Time Stone with our lives.

See also

• nothing doing