# "Split Tongue", slicing your tongue in half - how dangerous? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 16, 2003, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/split-tongue-slicing-your-tongue-in-half-how-dangerous/175673 "2003-05-16T13:46:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tir\_Tinuviel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@Tir\_Tinuviel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tir_Tinuviel)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/split-tongue-slicing-your-tongue-in-half-how-dangerous/175673/21 "2003-05-17T14:45:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Qadgop the Mercotan \* > \*\*The rest of your post made some sort of sense, Nightingale. But I can’t figure this comment out at all. Clarification? > > Having sewn a few tongues back together in my career (and having bitten a hole thru mine years ago in a plane crash), I really don’t see the desirability for elective surgical mucking around in such a nerve and blood-vessel rich muscle. \*\* I’m not quite sure what you want me to clarify? I just mentioned that yes it can be reversed (or fixed), and as an aside I’ve heard that the American army will make you get it fixed if you join and have already had it done. I don’t know about armys in other countries, or other branches of the american military, it was just something I’d heard. It wasn’t supposed to mean anything or imply anything other then a cite for yes, it is possible to reverse a tongue splitting. Dunno? Confused now? > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by plain\_jane \* > \*\*I read your entire post thinking, “this person is well informed… I bet it’s a bme fan”, and then came to your link… \*\* I’m not really a BME fan, I was actually asked about muliple tongue piercings the other week, and I searched for some piccies and discovered BME (I’d seen it previously after searching for some info on more extreme forms of body modification, but had forgotten about it’s existance.) I just happened to notice there was an article on tongue splitting which I read cos it’s something I was considering, and remembered it when I saw this thread. I have a couple of friends who are body piercers, and I’ve had a fair amount of peircing, tattoos and other mods done myself in the past. **DougC** , aye, the article I linked to explains how to do that with a thread… I’d rather just get it lasered, less hassle! 😉 **F U Shakespeare** , boo! I vote you go do it now in the interests of science and harmonicas! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/split-tongue-slicing-your-tongue-in-half-how-dangerous/175673/22 "2003-05-17T15:36:22Z")
I doubt the US Army would force anyone to have the surgery, **Tir**. Easier to not take the potential recruit with a forked tongue, or to dishonorably discharge the soldier who elects to have it done. Forcing an elective procedure on someone would constitute assault and battery. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/split-tongue-slicing-your-tongue-in-half-how-dangerous/175673/23 "2003-05-17T16:06:59Z")
From [this](http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/articles/0513tongue-splitting13-ON.html) article **Qadgop** > [@](#): > > And earlier this year, several branches of the armed services banned tongue-splitting. Officials at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina say one airman had the tissue in his split tongue reopened and sewn back together in February to avoid being kicked out of the service. Having been in the service I can assure you, you give up a lot of your rights when you sign on the dotted line. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/split-tongue-slicing-your-tongue-in-half-how-dangerous/175673/24 "2003-05-17T16:09:02Z")
True, **x-ray**. But the guy still had an option. Stay in the service and get the surgery, or leave the service. So to me, that’s not forcing anyone to have the surgery, only to make choices. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/split-tongue-slicing-your-tongue-in-half-how-dangerous/175673/25 "2003-05-17T16:14:52Z")
Well, ok, if you want to look at it that way, then the military can’t _force_ anyone to do anything. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/split-tongue-slicing-your-tongue-in-half-how-dangerous/175673/26 "2003-05-17T16:38:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by x-ray vision \* > \*\* then the military can’t _force_ anyone to do anything. \*\* They sure as hell forced Eddie Slovik. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/split-tongue-slicing-your-tongue-in-half-how-dangerous/175673/27 "2003-05-17T17:13:52Z")
Hey, I was just looking for clarification from **Tir** as to why she said that the American Army will force people to have their tongues repaired. It conjured up the mental image of our forces marching thru Iraq inspecting the local’s mouths, then bundling them up and taking them away for corrective repair. Do our British allies do the same thing? The Aussies? Is this a result of our C in C’s fundamentalist religious outlook? If the Army is in charge of tongue inspection and repair, which service has jurisdiction over modified genitalia? Or are the privates left to the Privates for evaluations? OK, I think I’ve babbled enough now. ---
**Author:** ![Tir\_Tinuviel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@Tir\_Tinuviel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tir_Tinuviel)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2003, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/split-tongue-slicing-your-tongue-in-half-how-dangerous/175673/28 "2003-05-19T12:30:25Z")
heh! 😃 Ok, **Qadgop** I get you now… sorry “forced” was the wrong word… I should have put something like “If you wish to join/remain in the army you will be required to have the tongue splitting reversed”. No, it’s doesn’t apply to civilians. heee! sorry! I understand your confusion now. That is a wonderful mental image though! I’ve only heard that about the American army, it was an article written about tongue splitting in America, so it was unlikely to mention foreign military services. [sub](I put “american”, cos I’m not american, so if I just said the default “army” without specifying, I’d be talking about the British one)[/sub] 😉 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7feea3/32.png) [@The\_Ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Ryan)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/split-tongue-slicing-your-tongue-in-half-how-dangerous/175673/29 "2003-05-25T23:23:16Z")
And the way you originally worded it, it sounded like the Army was forcing civilians to have it reversed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/split-tongue-slicing-your-tongue-in-half-how-dangerous/175673.md?page=1)