

Ask YC: Can you control the lizard-spit function? - jsomers

Underneath your tongue there's a gland (I think) that will occasionally fire a reptile-like spray of saliva. It's happened to most people I've talked to.<p>Does any of you know what this strange anatomical feature is actually called and/or how to fire it at will?
======
SwellJoe
This seems totally off topic for YC.

But, strangely enough, a handful of friends and I discovered this anatomical
feature when we were kids...maybe seven or eight years old...and developed it
to a pretty predictable art form. We called it "skeet". Which, in modern/adult
terminology means something altogether different (though also involving bodily
fluids). I haven't done it, or tried it, in over 20 years. So the ability
seems to be completely atrophied, but I remember what it felt like now that
I'm thinking about it. I reckon I could make it happen again with a bit of
practice.

And, so I don't actually know _how_ to tell you to do it at will, but I know
it can be done, because I've done it, and seen a few other kids do it. Some
were better than others (much longer range, and dramatically better accuracy),
but I don't know if that was a factor of more practice or if some people are
built significantly different.

Anyway, if a bunch of seven or eight year olds can figure out how to do it
without guidance, I'm sure a grownup with a hackers mindset can handle it.

------
dgolden
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gleeking>

~~~
jsomers
Thanks! That's exactly what I was looking for.

