# Catching a yawn......
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catching-a-yawn/9319
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 28, 2000, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catching-a-yawn/9319 "2000-03-28T06:58:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Anti\_Pro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anti_Pro)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2000, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catching-a-yawn/9319/1 "2000-03-28T06:58:00Z")
Everyone has been discussing ‘catching’ colds and sneezing, but it never fails when one of my sons yawns in front of me, I’ll yawn too.
## I don’t know if it is REALLY catching, or maybe I’m a serial copycat!! Whatcha think?
Judy
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“Um, according to who? Nothing more than a high brow troll, though occasionally the bi polar personality swung in a constructive direction on innocuous topics.” Omniscient
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### Author:  [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2000, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catching-a-yawn/9319/2 "2000-03-28T12:44:00Z")
Try this article by [Cecil](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_309.html).
Although he claims adults rarely catch “the yawns” from children, you might find it informational.
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### Author:  [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2000, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catching-a-yawn/9319/3 "2000-03-28T13:56:00Z")
Damn! I yawned just reading this. I have heard you can make cats yawn—but I sat there yawning and yawning in front of my cats, and they just stared blankly at me like the fool I was.
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### Author:  [@Fyodor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fyodor)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2000, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catching-a-yawn/9319/4 "2000-03-28T14:40:00Z")
I read a book a long time ago that tried to explain this. The pumping of oxygen to the brain principle mentioned by Cecil was mentioned.
The book described observations of tribes of baboons in Africa - when the alpha male baboon yawned the other male baboons in his vicinity also would yawn. The theory was that the boss baboon was yawning and thereby pumping up his alertness, so the lesser males, fearful of, competitive with, and respectful of the top guy, also yawned to perk themselves up to match his higher level of alertness.
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### Author:  [@aenea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aenea)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2000, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catching-a-yawn/9319/5 "2000-03-28T15:44:00Z")
Stop it! Yawning is contagious!
::Yaaawwwn:
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Carpe Jugulum
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### Author:  [@Anti\_Pro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anti_Pro)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2000, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catching-a-yawn/9319/6 "2000-03-29T03:07:00Z")
I started yawning just reading my orignial question! Thanks for the link, UncleBeer,
\<\<\<\<\\>\>\>\>\>\>
Except that I DO yawn right after the boys start yawning, which of course **could** mean, they are either MY peers, or I could be a penguin…actually ‘Anti Peng’ doesn’t sound too bad!!
## Thanks for the responses, anyone interested in a nap??? I’ve still got little kinder mats handy!! 😃
Judy
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“Um, according to who? Nothing more than a high brow troll, though occasionally the bi polar personality swung in a constructive direction on innocuous topics.” Omniscient