You know, I've been wondering this for a long time now. Why do men spit? Do you guys have some extra amount saliva in your mouths? Do you think it looks rough and tough? Are you marking your territory LOL? [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img] What is it? I really must know because I don't spit, and I haven't ever seen a woman spit either, so have no idea.

I know this is a bit of a gross topic LOL, sorry for that. But today as I was walking across the street to get lunch, freezing as it is, I must have seen at least 10 spit globs on the sidewalk and/or road. It was like avoiding potholes LOL. Blech!

Can somebody please explain this phenomena?

I feel the need to spit when im drinking/smoking heavily it just seems to build up.

I dont think its an issue of trying to look hard or anything it just happens, then again if you're brought up in Aberdeen then you are kinda taught to spit from the age of 3 months and onwards :D

Preferably in the direction of people who are obviously new to the toon. [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img]

No good reason that I can justify. Sometimes, it's just to see if I'm spitting well today [img]smile.gif[/img]

I do try to be courteous, though, if that's possible... I try to spit out of areas where people normally walk, like sidewalks and such.

Parking lots... sorry. There is no safe place to walk [img]smile.gif[/img]

<font color=skyblue>I have no need nor desire to spit as you are describing it, LadyZ.

More than likely, it is a learned behavior and one that I am glad to say I did not get cursed with. </font>

Here's the big secret...it keeps us slim. So if you see a big guy, it's safe to assume that he didn't spit enough when he was younger. [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img]

The only person I know who spits a lot, is a girl. And boy can she spit. Fires it out several metres.

You mean getting rid of excess water? :D

When I am exercising, if I don't have a water bottle, my mouth gets dry, so I spit to make the saliva flow.

Spitting is like having an annoying girlfriend. You keep getting rid of it, but it always comes back.

A lot of people in China spit. I believe there's an old joke in Taiwan about it. "Why do mainlanders spit all the time? Because ever since the Communist party took over, they've been trying to get the bad taste out of their mouths!"

But really, I think part of it is the air quality here just really causes a need to spit. That and a lack of education about how unsanitary it is to spit everywhere you go. I find that people with a basic understanding of hygene in this part of the world spit a lot less, and into trash cans. When I spit, it's either into a trash can or into a tissue which then finds its way into a trash can.

It's not an issue of being cool, it's an issue of clearing the gunk out of the throat. That said, I still can't believe the number of people who I see spit indoors here, on the floor, next to where they're sitting because they're too frikkin' lazy to get up and walk that ONE METER to the trash can. I mean, even a dog knows not to do its business where it sleeps, so to speak.

I agree about the Chinese Winter Wolf. I've not been to China, but all over SE Asia and see it all the time. Also in S Korea. I do think it's more of a learnt habit than neccessity. And doesn't seem to have the same stigma as elsewhere.

I just read the title of the thread and thought, don't get me started on that! I hate that!

Ooh, nice to see such a title while eating. Puts some extra psychological spunk into my dumplings. Yum. :D

From what I hear, smoking can make the body produce greater amounts of saliva.

I've personally never been a spitting type. Only when I really need to. I have done it a few times to cut off my brother's talking (he dislikes it even more than I do; honestly, if you knew what he sometimes talks about, you would sympathize with me :D ). Other than that, I just about never do it.
I remember walking home from school one day with my friends. We were in the 7th grade or so. One of them asked me, since he'd never seen me do it: "Damn, Peeter, why don't you ever spit? Go ahead, just do it once," then added challengingly, "or maybe you just can't do it?" My answer was something along the lines of "nope, no sirre, can't do it. Nuh-uh, that's not for me." Okay, so I wasn't a very cool guy but the bottom line is I regarded smoking as too disgusting to just demonstrate it. :D

I am with Larry. Never worked myself into it. ;)

Resisting childish comment about women who won't spit. [img]graemlins/biglaugh.gif[/img]

I agree with Winter Wolf and Leonis, spitting is a habit in the region. People won't care where they spit, they'll just spit anywhere, even into your hands! :mad:

Into your hands?! Wha? How?

Some people will spit without looking at where they are spitting.

It also includes some amylase and other enzymes [img]smile.gif[/img]
and I don't know why some people spit, it's pretty nasty. I've also seen quite a few girls at my school spit, which is all kinds of disgusting in itself.

<font face="Verdana" size="3" color="#009999">Spit!!! No, if I ever spit in public my momma would slap me upside the head, same with my Dad.
</font>

[ 02-19-2007, 04:55 PM: Message edited by: pritchke ]

Well, maybe it's the Hillbilly coming out of me, but I spit. Quite a bit more than normal, recently. I would agree that it's all about clearing the gunk out of one's throat. There's also a need when I smell something bad, so that I get the taste out of my mouth.
Adding something new to the discussion, I generally spit to get rid of the excess phlegm that can accumulate. (Which makes this a "phlegmnomenon"). I spit more in the winter because the colder temperatures makes me produce a lot more phlegm than usual. I dunno if that's a satisfactory answer for you, LZ, but it's all I got.

P.S. I was also taught by my Pops, "don't swallow that junk, get rid of it!!" LOL
Still taught that it wasn't appropriate to spit inside or anywhere without grass, though.

You mean when you have a mouthfull of toothpaste you don't spit it out?

You know that's not good for you don't you? [img]smile.gif[/img]

EVERYONE spits... some are just a bit more "public" about it. Probably because they weren't told it was crass when they were a young'un.

I spit mostly when I have a cold and want to clear the nasty stuff out instead of swallowing it.

Heya LadyZ! LOL, another good topic for discussion!! And very timely...I was just asking my husband WHY he has to do that when we're out. His answer was pretty much that he had to 'get stuff out'.... sigh.. and while he does try and avoid high traffic areas like the sidewalk....let me tell you, it still grosses me out! [img]tongue.gif[/img]