# Can you roll your tongue? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 15, 2003, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442 "2003-11-15T17:24:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/1 "2003-11-15T17:24:01Z")
I’m doing a survey, for a biology lab (we’re studying genetics, blech) on various genetic traits. So: Can you roll your tongue? Can you do that weird “w” thing with your tongue? ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/2 "2003-11-15T17:29:13Z")
I can roll into a “u”, but I can’t do multiple folds. ---
**Author:** ![mishaa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@mishaa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mishaa)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/3 "2003-11-15T17:29:32Z")
Not sure what you mean by the “W” thing - I can roll the tip back to the middle of my tongue… ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/4 "2003-11-15T17:30:22Z")
I can roll my tongue, and do the w thing. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/5 "2003-11-15T17:31:00Z")
I’d be interested in finding out, **NinjaChick** , is this because of muscle tone in the tongue that is developed in some people but not in others? I find it curious some people can do it, but some can’t. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/6 "2003-11-15T17:31:48Z")
\ Dammit, I’m over a thousand posts and never even noticed ☹ \ ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/7 "2003-11-15T17:33:32Z")
Its one of those “determined by a single gene” traits. Whether or not your nerves are capable of delivering the “roll” command to the tongue is based entirely on whether you have the gene, not on muscle tone. Though, I must say, my tongue is the oral equivalent of a marathon runner 😉 ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/8 "2003-11-15T17:39:17Z")
Are there any evolutionary advantages to having a tongue you can roll? ---
**Author:** ![Cosmopolitan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/94ad74/32.png) [@Cosmopolitan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cosmopolitan)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/9 "2003-11-15T17:52:58Z")
I can roll my tongue but can’t do the “W” thing. ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/10 "2003-11-15T18:02:05Z")
I appear to be able to do both. Do I get a prize? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/11 "2003-11-15T18:05:06Z")
I could if I cut it out … 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Erika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/47e85d/32.png) [@Erika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erika)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/12 "2003-11-15T18:21:10Z")
roll, yes; w no. ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/13 "2003-11-15T18:34:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Angua \* > \*\*I appear to be able to do both. Do I get a prize? 😃 \*\* Sure. I hereby bestow upon thee the sacred Swirly Tongue Medal. Please, honor it always. ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/14 "2003-11-15T18:37:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NinjaChick \* > \*\*Sure. I hereby bestow upon thee the sacred Swirly Tongue Medal. Please, honor it always. \*\* Cool. I will 😃 Hmm… is the doing a “w” thing genetic as well? ---
**Author:** ![Loneraven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c0e974/32.png) [@Loneraven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loneraven)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/15 "2003-11-15T18:53:57Z")
I can’t do either. FWIW, I did this survey for GCSE Biology. Out of our class of seventeen, three couldn’t roll their tongues. We were told it was genetic and discrete - either you can, or you can’t. Of course, much of what I was taught for GCSE has turned out to be “lies-to-children”, so take this with a pinch of salt. ---
**Author:** ![Simple\_Dreamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Simple\_Dreamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Dreamer)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/16 "2003-11-15T19:15:19Z")
I can do both. ---
**Author:** ![misstee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@misstee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misstee)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/17 "2003-11-15T19:29:00Z")
I can roll my tongue, but I can not do the “w”. I can also turn my tongue sideways both ways. ---
**Author:** ![Simple\_Dreamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Simple\_Dreamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Dreamer)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/18 "2003-11-15T19:44:37Z")
I can also turn my tongue sideways both ways. ---
**Author:** ![Dizzy\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dizzy\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dizzy_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/19 "2003-11-15T22:33:10Z")
😛 ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/20 "2003-11-15T22:52:45Z")
I can roll my tongue, do the W, and turn it both ways. Just to add to your survey - my sister can roll her tongue, but not do the W. My brother can do neither, and to shoot the “It’s a dominant trait” theory in the foot, my parents cannot roll their tongues either. It isn’t as much of a Mendelian trait as it was initially believed to be. [http://www.discovery.com/area/skinnyon/skinnyon970226/skinny1.html](http://www.discovery.com/area/skinnyon/skinnyon970226/skinny1.html) [http://www.people.virginia.edu/~rjh9u/tongroll.html](http://www.people.virginia.edu/~rjh9u/tongroll.html) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442.md?page=2)