# Sticking out your tongue. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 17, 2005, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sticking-out-your-tongue/294923 "2005-03-17T03:10:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sticking-out-your-tongue/294923/1 "2005-03-17T03:10:26Z")
Not for the doc, but as a sign of disrespect. What’s the origin? I just saw the milk commercial where the little girl sticks her tongue out at the bully after tricking him and making him look foolish… Made me wonder! 😉 Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2005, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sticking-out-your-tongue/294923/2 "2005-03-19T23:40:30Z")
I’m bumping this just once, I promise. Maybe if I simplify the question; What is the origin, and the meaning, of sticking one’s tongue out at someone? Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sticking-out-your-tongue/294923/3 "2005-03-20T00:55:30Z")
Desmond Morris speculated that it may be a sort of penis mimicry, and be tied into primate dominance displays. (With the further notation that the gesture doubles as a flirt in other contexts.) ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/96bed5/32.png) [@Cat\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Jones)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sticking-out-your-tongue/294923/4 "2005-03-20T10:09:02Z")
Wonder how this fits in with the Maori tongue sticking out at the end of war dances ? I knew it was to do with intimidation, perhaps even the sugesstion of ‘I’ll eat you’ style agression but I hadn’t heard the penis theory. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2005, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sticking-out-your-tongue/294923/5 "2005-03-21T00:15:23Z")
Penis mimicry wouldn’t surprise me, although I don’t recall Morris saying it. (It’s probably in his book **Manwatching** , but I haven’t read it in a while). If I’m not mistaken, Claude Levi-Strauss explained it as the same action that a child uses in rejecting food pushed into its mouth by its mother. I suspect that the true explanation is either neither, or a combination of these. Most contexts in which you stick out your tongue at someone seem like gentle teasing inapprpriate to a penis display. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2005, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sticking-out-your-tongue/294923/6 "2005-03-21T00:21:16Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Penis mimicry wouldn’t surprise me, although I don’t recall Morris saying it. (It’s probably in his book **Manwatching** , but I haven’t read it in a while). It’s almost certainly in _Manwatching_ – it’s the only book of his that has a place on my shelf. I’ve read _The Naked Ape_, but don’t have a copy. (I’m not at home, so I can’t refer to it right now, though – sorry.) ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2005, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sticking-out-your-tongue/294923/7 "2005-03-22T00:18:26Z")
Man, I’ve googled and such 'till my fingers are sore and haven’t found an answer. Plenty of mentions, but nothing about the origin or meanings. The “baby” idea sounds good, but little else from those early years seem as pervasive in older (5 yrs old +) people. Maybe I should’ve asked Cecil and his minions? Anybody have any idea how widespread the practice is? I know about the Maori, where it’s intent is pretty much the same as here. Among adults, at least. Maybe a _little_ more serious for them. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2005, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sticking-out-your-tongue/294923/8 "2005-03-22T04:27:59Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I suspect that the true explanation is either neither, or a combination of these. Most contexts in which you stick out your tongue at someone seem like gentle teasing inapprpriate to a penis display. An example of teasing would be for someone to sharply turn their head at another and then quickly stick out their tongue so that only a little bit of the tongue is showing, then quickly retract tongue and and then finally to sharply turn head back.