# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Zazie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Zazie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zazie)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/21 "2003-11-15T22:56:01Z")
Damn, I can’t do any of those things… my tongue is so boring. My husband can do the U thingy and just make fun of me when I try… and fail… ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/22 "2003-11-16T02:43:57Z")
I can roll but no w. More importantly, I can lick the end of my nose. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/23 "2003-11-16T03:41:49Z")
Is the W thing done from front to back or is that a W as view from the front? The reason I asked is that I can sort of make waves with my tongue against my teeth and I’m wondering if that is what you are talking about. I can roll my tongue really tightly. I just tested it on a cup of cool coffee and I had to loosen it to use it as a straw. This is getting ugly, isn’t it… I can roll it to the left side, but not the right. (One time at SDMB we talked about genetic differences and someone mentioned teeth that were scooped out (or something like that). I didn’t know what was meant until I saw Robert Novak’s teeth when he laughed and wondered if that was what was being referenced. Does anyone remember? Don’t want to completely hijack this thing. ) ---
**Author:** ![NeutronJack](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/neutronjack/32/4134_2.png) [@NeutronJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NeutronJack)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/24 "2003-11-16T04:38:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\*I’m doing a survey, for a biology lab \*\* Gee, do you think that there’s going to be any bias in the answers? People that are proud of their abilities will tend to respond more that people who can’t do it. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/25 "2003-11-16T07:44:45Z")
I can do the U thing, but I can’t stick my tongue out at people. Thank God my middle finger works right, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Profane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47774/32.png) [@Profane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Profane)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/26 "2003-11-16T07:57:05Z")
I can’t, my husband can, as far as I can tell our two kids can’t. ---
**Author:** ![lurksfromwork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@lurksfromwork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lurksfromwork)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/27 "2003-11-16T08:03:05Z")
U…yep w…yep two w’s…yep (i practiced as a kid) but i can only roll it to the left and can’t for the life of me do it to the right…unless i use pliers. ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/28 "2003-11-16T09:25:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NinjaChick \* > \*\*So: Can you roll your tongue? Can you do that weird “w” thing with your tongue? \*\* Yes. Yes. And 😛 ---
**Author:** ![spogga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ab097/32.png) [@spogga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spogga)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/29 "2003-11-16T11:28:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Reeder \* > \*\*I can roll but no w. > > More importantly, I can lick the end of my nose. \*\* Is that all? huh!, I can lick my eyebrows 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/30 "2003-11-16T11:36:26Z")
Can roll, but no dubya. ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/31 "2003-11-16T12:29:28Z")
Roll into a “U” shape - check Roll side to side - both directions, check Roll into a “W” shape - formerly check, not now I was in a car accident about five years ago, and bit almost clear through my tongue in the impact. Since then, my tongue will hold a W shape if I force it into one with my hand, but I can’t make it happen automatically the way I can the U shape. So obviously there is a muscular component to the ability in addition to the genetic trait. Food for thought. ---
**Author:** ![gouda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c77e96/32.png) [@gouda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gouda)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/32 "2003-11-16T12:40:46Z")
The “u” thing I can… roll in both directions as well as backwards, I can… no “W” thing though… ---
**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 16, 2003, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/33 "2003-11-16T12:51:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by spogga \* > \*\*Is that all? huh!, I can lick my eyebrows 😉 \*\* Ha! I can lick _other_ people’s eyebrows! ---
**Author:** ![StanDup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@StanDup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StanDup)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/34 "2003-11-16T20:42:16Z")
Both. ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/35 "2003-11-16T20:56:00Z")
Nope. I can’t do either. ---
**Author:** ![Slainte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@Slainte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slainte)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/36 "2003-11-16T21:47:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dutchboy208 \* > \*\*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. > \*\* I don’t have that gene. ☹ I cannot make the **U** or the **W**. On a happier note, my gentleman friend _can_ make the **U**. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![TitoBenito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2acd7d/32.png) [@TitoBenito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TitoBenito)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/37 "2003-11-16T23:39:41Z")
I can’t do either. Maybe this is why I can not blow bubble gum bubbles. People were always yelling at me to roll my damn tounge when they tryed to show me how but my tounge doesn’t even know where to begin. Any body else who can’t roll also not able to blow bubbles. On a side note I can bend my thumbs the opposite direction quite a ways, which to me is much cooler. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2003, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/38 "2003-11-17T00:28:36Z")
I can roll my tongue, both sides up and all the way into a complete circle (kindof like making a straw, like Zoe said). So I guess that means I can do the “U” thing, as well as the “O” thing? If doing the “W” thing is the same as making it look like a 3-leaf clover, then yes, I can do the “W” thing, too. I can turn my tongue over, but only to the right, not to the left. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2003, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/39 "2003-11-17T04:29:56Z")
I can make the “u”, but not the “w”. I can’t roll it over, either. ---
**Author:** ![Zap\_Rowsdower](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3da27b/32.png) [@Zap\_Rowsdower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zap_Rowsdower)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2003, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442/40 "2003-11-17T04:34:32Z")
I can roll, but it is more of a U than W, and I can roll it back or fold it over. I can also touch the tip of my nose with my tongue. And lastly I can turn my tongue over to the left, but not right. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-roll-your-tongue/213442.md?page=3)