# Why do people lick/wet the tips of their pens/pencils?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-lick-wet-the-tips-of-their-pens-pencils/362755>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 30, 2006, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-lick-wet-the-tips-of-their-pens-pencils/362755 "2006-06-30T14:44:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![kprefontaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ee7513/32.png) [@kprefontaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kprefontaine)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-lick-wet-the-tips-of-their-pens-pencils/362755/1 "2006-06-30T14:44:54Z")

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I was wondering where the idea of wetting ones pen or pencil originated?

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**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-lick-wet-the-tips-of-their-pens-pencils/362755/2 "2006-06-30T15:21:29Z")

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I’ve found that if a pen is sitting upcapped for a while, the little dot of ink at the tip can dry out, so a tap on the tongue gets things rolling again.

Pencils- no idea.

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**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-lick-wet-the-tips-of-their-pens-pencils/362755/3 "2006-06-30T16:04:17Z")

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A Google cache at the Stumpers site offers these possibilities:

> [@](#):
>
> \>I think this behavior comes from a mistaken notion that it makes the  
> \>writing “indelible” or at least more difficult to erase. Perhaps it did  
> \>at one time. Or perhaps it is relevant to the days when “lead pencils” were  
> \>actually made of lead (pre-Civil War days in the US). I do remember being  
> …  
> \>–Gary Lee Phillips /"\_–\_/"\ @ @
> 
> You might try to find out if lead (pb as opposed to graphite) pencils dried  
> out. I always assumed that moistening the point was one way to get it to  
> write properly again.
> 
> Mario Rups

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**Author:** ![Badmash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/94ad74/32.png) [@Badmash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badmash)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-lick-wet-the-tips-of-their-pens-pencils/362755/4 "2006-06-30T16:16:45Z")

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Long time fountain pen user here.  
Fountain pens’ ink at the writing tip would dry out, preventing ink flow. Wetting the tip got the ink flowing again. No cite.

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**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-lick-wet-the-tips-of-their-pens-pencils/362755/5 "2006-06-30T16:22:28Z")

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Because it tastes so good?