# What would you do if I licked my fingers before turning the pages of your books? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 22, 2005, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-i-licked-my-fingers-before-turning-the-pages-of-your-books/313584 "2005-07-22T03:11:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pasunejen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/58956e/32.png) [@pasunejen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pasunejen)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2005, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-i-licked-my-fingers-before-turning-the-pages-of-your-books/313584/21 "2005-07-22T13:30:54Z")
It would kind of bother me. Even if it were my boyfriend, with whom I swap spit at every opportunity. I would ask whoever it was to stop doing it, and I might think twice about handing them a book in the future. It’s not exactly rational, but I’m very protective of my books–even the ones I don’t like and probably won’t read again and might even sell. I can do whatever I like to them (and I rarely treat them with any extra care myself), but as long as they belong to me other people had damned well better respect them. On the other hand, they could actually spit on my furniture or dishes, and while I would think it odd that they had done that, as long as they cleaned it up properly I wouldn’t be put out in the least. ---
**Author:** ![big\_dogs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f1d935/32.png) [@big\_dogs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/big_dogs)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2005, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-i-licked-my-fingers-before-turning-the-pages-of-your-books/313584/22 "2005-07-22T13:44:33Z")
I probably wouldn’t give it a second thought - but I have jumped all over someone for folding down the corner of a page to save their place! ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2005, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-i-licked-my-fingers-before-turning-the-pages-of-your-books/313584/23 "2005-07-22T13:48:06Z")
I occasionally do it to my own books…but I would \*never \* do it to someone else’s books. Come on, you don’t lick other people’s books, you don’t dog-ear them, you don’t crinkle them or eat them. You keep them in pristine condition. Books are either worth 50 cents or priceless. However, if I really did see you doing it to \*my \* books, I’d politely offer you some lotion - after all, your skin is dry, which is why you can’t turn the pages. To be honest, I realize I don’t loan my books out very much. And when I do, they go out of the house. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2005, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-i-licked-my-fingers-before-turning-the-pages-of-your-books/313584/24 "2005-07-22T13:51:36Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > I got over that kind of thing very young when my Mom would lick tissues and use the saliva dampened tissue to wipe the occasional smudge o sumtin off my face. Sharing glasses, cans, and bottles used to skeeve me a little but I got over that too. > > Saliva enabled page turning isn’t even a blip on my radar. Ditto. What’s to get squicked about? The amount of saliva transfer is minimal. Sheesh, do you people ever kiss anyone? I completely support the public flaying of corner folders, though. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2005, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-i-licked-my-fingers-before-turning-the-pages-of-your-books/313584/25 "2005-07-22T13:59:35Z")
I really could care less. Well, maybe a bit confused, because who actually licks their fingers to turn a page? I’ve never seen anyone do it. But from reading this thread, most people are in the “OMG that’s the worst thing you can do ever! Ahhh!!” And, of those people, they seem to have one of two reasons: 1. They value their books and don’t want any harm to come to them. I can almost sympathize with these people…but come on! Unless there’s a reason to be overly protective of it (first edition, out of print, signed by the autheor, or otherwsie a bit special, not just off the shelf, no way different than the million other copies) what’s the big deal? A tiny bit of saliva is not going to damage the book in any way. 2. Spit is icky, nasty, and should be avoided at all costs. Now this is the attude that makes no sense. Have you never kissed anyone before? Yeesh. **Rushgeekgirl** put it best: > [@](#): > > I wouldn’t care…just don’t shove yer paper-germed tongue down my throat! Odds are they are getting more germs from that piece of paper than it is from their spit. How do you germ-a-phobes do anything? You can’t paly baseball, the bat was touched by someone else…germs! You can’t go out to eat, there might be germs in the food! ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2005, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-i-licked-my-fingers-before-turning-the-pages-of-your-books/313584/26 "2005-07-22T14:02:42Z")
I would notice because most people don’t do it but it wouldn’t worry me at all. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2005, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-i-licked-my-fingers-before-turning-the-pages-of-your-books/313584/27 "2005-07-22T14:15:25Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > Odds are they are getting more germs from that piece of paper than it is from their spit. How do you germ-a-phobes do anything? You can’t paly baseball, the bat was touched by someone else…germs! You can’t go out to eat, there might be germs in the food! What about respect for other people’s property? It ain’t your book, please stop licking it. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2005, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-i-licked-my-fingers-before-turning-the-pages-of-your-books/313584/28 "2005-07-22T14:20:58Z")
“STOP. THAT.” I could not care less about the sanitation issue. I’d be concerned that your saliva would make the pages of MY BOOK stick together, so the next time I read it maybe I have to tear some pages to get them apart. If I have to go to that much effort to read it, so do you. That’s why you have opposable thumbs. It’s MY BOOK. You want sticky books, buy your own. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2005, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-i-licked-my-fingers-before-turning-the-pages-of-your-books/313584/29 "2005-07-22T14:27:58Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > It’s MY BOOK In the end, I really believe that’s all that matters! ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2005, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-i-licked-my-fingers-before-turning-the-pages-of-your-books/313584/30 "2005-07-22T15:08:34Z")
“Please don’t do that. it’s gross.” followed by recording a memory ‘Don’t lend anything to that person again’. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2005, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-i-licked-my-fingers-before-turning-the-pages-of-your-books/313584/31 "2005-07-22T15:09:56Z")
“Please don’t do that. it’s gross.” followed by recording a memory ‘Don’t lend anything to that person again’. Unless they were very very sexy 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2005, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-i-licked-my-fingers-before-turning-the-pages-of-your-books/313584/32 "2005-07-22T15:22:06Z")
> [@betenoir](#): > > I would be confused. I never understood the licking fingers thing to begin with…how hard is it to turn pages? And I would think it was a bit rude, to do to someone else’s book. I don’t care about germs but I’d think it was a bit inconsiderate. > 😃 Actually, it’s really hard to turn some pages without licking. You risk damaging the edges by not using the tried and true spit method. (flip, flip, flip, fuck!, flip, flip hard, little bend in the page, fuck!, rub together to separate, rub together to separate). The spit method has been used to great success for many years. I’m stickin’ with it. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2005, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-i-licked-my-fingers-before-turning-the-pages-of-your-books/313584/33 "2005-07-22T15:47:35Z")
To attractive young lady: “If you really want me to contact your saliva, come over here and give me tongue!” To anyone else: “Keep your spit out of my book!” ---
**Author:** ![Stillwell\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@Stillwell\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stillwell_Angel)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2005, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-i-licked-my-fingers-before-turning-the-pages-of-your-books/313584/34 "2005-07-22T17:38:38Z")
I’m with the group who doesn’t understand why the licking is being done in the first place. What on earth have you been doing with your fingers that they are so slippery you can’t turn a page?? :eek: It doesn’t gross me out, I just don’t get it. In 36 years of avid reading I have yet to touch a page I couldn’t turn sans spit. ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2005, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-i-licked-my-fingers-before-turning-the-pages-of-your-books/313584/35 "2005-07-22T18:12:17Z")
Depends. If you look like this then I’d probably let you do it and then use the book as a pacifier. If you looked like this, I’d probably let you do it because you have the strength of six men and a proclivity for the physical expression of annoyance. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2005, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-i-licked-my-fingers-before-turning-the-pages-of-your-books/313584/36 "2005-07-22T18:18:07Z")
It’s not just the germ angle. Saliva gets really nasty when it dries. Don’t believe me? Spit a little in a bottlecap or similar small container, and leave it out somewhere. Check on it in a day or two. Yeah, you’ll only get a little bit of saliva on a book page this way. But no nastiness is preferable to a little bit of nastiness. When sharing dishes or kissing, on the other hand, the saliva doesn’t get a chance to dry out, and any of it that’s starting to do whatever it is saliva does to go bad is getting continually diluted and washed away. So the situations are not comparable. ---
**Author:** ![Corii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Corii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corii)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2005, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-i-licked-my-fingers-before-turning-the-pages-of-your-books/313584/37 "2005-07-22T18:21:16Z")
I wouldn’t care, unless the book was wet when you returned it. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![ArrMatey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrmatey/32/3522_2.png) [@ArrMatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArrMatey)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2005, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-i-licked-my-fingers-before-turning-the-pages-of-your-books/313584/38 "2005-07-22T18:32:04Z")
> [@One And Only Wanderers](#): > > The next book of mine they got their hands on would be prepared in ‘The Name of the Rose’ style… I opened this thread just to see if anyone would bring this up. Well done, **OAOW** ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2005, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-i-licked-my-fingers-before-turning-the-pages-of-your-books/313584/39 "2005-07-22T20:12:06Z")
> [@](#): > > The next book of mine they got their hands on would be prepared in ‘The Name of the Rose’ style… IIRC, there’s a similar story in the Arabian Nights (which is probably where Umberto got the idea). ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2005, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-i-licked-my-fingers-before-turning-the-pages-of-your-books/313584/40 "2005-07-23T02:59:39Z")
> [@Stillwell Angel](#): > > I’m with the group who doesn’t understand why the licking is being done in the first place. What on earth have you been doing with your fingers that they are so slippery you can’t turn a page?? :eek: > > It doesn’t gross me out, I just don’t get it. In 36 years of avid reading I have yet to touch a page I couldn’t turn sans spit. I’ve discovered that the ability to use fingertips varys greatly between individuals. Several years ago, I was at the grocery with a woman who could not open those little plastic baggies for produce. Nothing she was able to do allowed her to separate the two thin sheets of plastic. I walked up and was able to do open the same baggie without any effort at all. Guess I’ve got sticky fingers! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-i-licked-my-fingers-before-turning-the-pages-of-your-books/313584.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-i-licked-my-fingers-before-turning-the-pages-of-your-books/313584.md?page=3)