# What does "Gag me with a spoon" mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 4, 2005, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-gag-me-with-a-spoon-mean/292894 "2005-03-04T14:16:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sparkina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f05b48/32.png) [@Sparkina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparkina)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-gag-me-with-a-spoon-mean/292894/21 "2013-11-13T22:42:03Z")
It means, “that’s disgusting.” Used when you think something is disgusting. Like, “Ohmigosh, my sister in law is preggers and, she’s, like craving hot fudge sundaes topped with tuna salad. Like GAG ME WITH A SPOON.” ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-gag-me-with-a-spoon-mean/292894/22 "2013-11-14T00:15:50Z")
The 2013 version of “gag me with a spoon” is “I just threw up in my mouth a little.” Both phrases indicate that something is disgusting enough to induce vomiting. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-gag-me-with-a-spoon-mean/292894/23 "2013-11-14T02:56:46Z")
Uh, I believe the question was already answered eight years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-gag-me-with-a-spoon-mean/292894/24 "2013-11-14T03:27:51Z")
Fer sure, fer sure. Since the question was answered eight years ago and no new information has been provided, I am closing this. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-gag-me-with-a-spoon-mean/292894/25 "2013-11-14T03:58:36Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > Uh, I believe the question was already answered eight years ago. More like 30. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-gag-me-with-a-spoon-mean/292894/26 "2013-11-14T04:17:28Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > The phrase was also used as part of an error message in the fictional esoteric computer language [VALGOL](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VALGOL_programming_language) Okay, as long as this thread is re-animated . . . The Wiki link for VALGOL is defunct. But VALGOL also gave us the “California Booleans”, fersure and noway. For years, I always #included in my C programs: #define FERSURE 1 #define NOWAY 0 and used them accordingly throughout my programs. ---
**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:** [November 14, 2013, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-gag-me-with-a-spoon-mean/292894/27 "2013-11-14T13:27:29Z")
One of my favorite entries in the Bulwer-Lytton “Dark and Story Night” contest is: > [@](#): > > “Grody to the Max,” Jennifer said as Max Grody tried to , like totally, gag her with a spoon." ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Duality](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.duality/32/4098_2.png) [@Mr.Duality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Duality)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-gag-me-with-a-spoon-mean/292894/28 "2013-11-14T13:44:20Z")
Didn’t it used to be standard procedure to use a spoon to keep someone having an epileptic seizure from biting or swallowing their tongue? So “gag me with a spoon” translates as “I’m having an epileptic fit. A little help please.” ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-gag-me-with-a-spoon-mean/292894/29 "2013-11-14T13:48:33Z")
That’s weird. I got an email notification that this had been closed by **Colibri**. > [@](#): > > Fer sure, fer sure. > > Since the question was answered eight years ago and no new information has been provided, I am closing this. > Colibri > General Questions Moderator But the post is nowhere to be seen here. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-gag-me-with-a-spoon-mean/292894/30 "2013-11-14T13:50:57Z")
> [@Mr.Duality](#): > > Didn’t it used to be standard procedure to use a spoon to keep someone having an epileptic seizure from biting or swallowing their tongue? So “gag me with a spoon” translates as “I’m having an epileptic fit. A little help please.” Not as I recall. I do remember epileptics carrying unsharpened pencils for just such an eventuality, but the phrase in question clearly meant “use a spoon to initiate the gag reflex, press down on the back of my tongue to induce vomiting.” ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-gag-me-with-a-spoon-mean/292894/31 "2013-11-14T13:52:45Z")
That’s what the spoon is for. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-gag-me-with-a-spoon-mean/292894/32 "2013-11-15T04:16:32Z")
> [@Mr.Duality](#): > > Didn’t it used to be standard procedure to use a spoon to keep someone having an epileptic seizure from biting or swallowing their tongue? So “gag me with a spoon” translates as “I’m having an epileptic fit. A little help please.” No, never. Some unenlightened first responders used to (still do?) carry “bite sticks” to prevent tongue-biting, teeth-clashing, etc., but spoons would be very bad for this, as they’d break the teeth. This practice does nothing to prevent tongue-swallowing, and is frowned upon by the medical establishment\*, as evidence indicates that “bite sticks” accomplish nothing for epileptics, and increase the risk of vomiting and/or injury. I’d not be surprised if someone used a spoon for this, but not as a standard practice. \*“Medical establishment” as represented by my EMT instructors and the manuals I used as a Red Cross instructor. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-gag-me-with-a-spoon-mean/292894.md?page=1)