# The Science of Spit **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 9, 2001, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-science-of-spit/92459 "2001-11-09T16:31:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HoldenCaulfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/22d042/32.png) [@HoldenCaulfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoldenCaulfield)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-science-of-spit/92459/1 "2001-11-09T16:31:43Z")
What is the science behind gleaking? Ya know, spit that flies out of your mouth when you yawn or tense up your mouth or something. Is there some sort of scientific term for that? Why does it happen? I know a few people that can do it on purpose. Is there any way to learn? I searched Google and the SDMB and didn’t find anything. Can anyone shed light on this? ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-science-of-spit/92459/2 "2001-11-09T21:57:19Z")
Wow, I used to be able to do this with some strange amount of proficiency. IIRC you simply folded your tongue back and used your jaws to squish it in a way… the spit came from under the tongue. At least, that was how I did it. You could shoot it pretty far, but it took some practice to get down. ---
**Author:** ![Gaspode](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gaspode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaspode)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-science-of-spit/92459/3 "2001-11-09T22:00:27Z")
It’s just the salivary glands that produce spit being squeezed by the surrounding muscles. Yawning exacerbates it because their are apparenetly common nerve parthways associated with yawming and mastication (no, no I said masti_cation_) that cause salivtion. Don’t know if you can learn to do it, but I’d have to ask why you’d want to. ---
**Author:** ![Moe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moe/32/2972_2.png) [@Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-science-of-spit/92459/4 "2001-11-10T01:07:25Z")
**Holden** where are you from? I thought we were the only ones who used the term “gleeking” for that. I always just assumed it was an inside term (meaning a small few in my HS). ---
**Author:** ![MarkyDeSade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@MarkyDeSade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarkyDeSade)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-science-of-spit/92459/5 "2001-11-10T03:20:58Z")
We called it ‘gleaking’ as well. BTW, I’m from Chicago. I learned how to do it in HS, and was quite good at it. To learn how, get a mint of some sort and start sucking on it. This’ll prime your glands for action! (Sounds kinda dirty already…) Press your tounge against the roof of your mouth and lock it there. Open your mouth (naturally, bu relaxing your jaw). Now clench your jaw muscles and push the back of your tounge forward (remember that the top of your tongue is locked to the roof of your mouth). After a few hearty tries, you should get the desired streaming spit effect. I take no responsibility should you fail or injure yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-science-of-spit/92459/6 "2001-11-10T03:42:06Z")
Oddly enough, we just discussed this in MPSIMS: [Pavlovian Mouth Ejaculation](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=97297) Not that I have any reason to bring that thread up. 🙂 :: preen ::