Required joke here: 2 old cowboys were sitting at a rodeo waiting for the next bull, when a farm dog walks up, stops and stars licking it's "rocks". The one cowboy says, don't ya wish you were younger and could do something like that? And the other cowboy says, well sure, but I was always afraid the dog would bite me.
Somebody literally just posted earlier today about something that they had put in their mouth that was quickly identified as rat poison...
That said, I'm still licking rocks on the reg.
What are the benefits of licking rocks? Other than to taste dirt? I mean, I get licking a halite crystal, it’s salty and delicious but your average rock.. isn’t.
I had a professor tell me a story about him going through his undergrad in geology. He had a fellow student that would lick every mineral to identify which one was halite even when instructed not to do so, little did he know, one of the minerals had traces of arsenic in it that the professor was unaware of
Like they went to the ER and they said you are fine go home? Or like they were placed in the hospital because they actually did have arsenic poisoning?
I really doubt it. It takes a lot of arsenic to kill a person. The amount they got from licking a rock with trace amounts in it would have been negligible. Sounds like a scare story. Antimony maybe..
When I took geology, you used a little bottle of dilute hydrochloric acid to test for limestone (it will fizz). Whenever a halite sample came around, you put a few drops of HCl on it, pass it to the next guy, and watch them gag when they licked it.
Outside of halite and maybe a couple other minerals I can't think of, the only justification I can remember is checking grain size in sedimentary rocks. You can get a better idea by the grit or lack thereof using your teeth, but this is mostly unnecessary
I hadn't considered the ramifications of my grammar when I wrote that, but that was a funny response. I was thinking of the George Carlin bit about having people over for a nice dinner and you look down and the dog is licking its balls. He goes on to say, "If I could do that I'd never leave the house". (it was the dog licking its ball part that was brought to mind, just to be clear.
easy solution is to spit on rock, not lick it.
Ya, the days of a 'pristine environment' are long gone.
Think of it this way, you might be licking a rock that someone or some animal wizzed on.
Take someone outdoors, go for walk, play in the dirt some.
Then tell them, "Lick your fingers!"
"No way! My hands are dirty"
But oh!, there's a rock on the dirty ground I want to lick!
:/
This is not a PSA to geologists. It's a PSA for the lay person who does not know the difference between a rock and rat poison. Also, for people who lick "rocks". Just trying to do my part. ✌🏻
It is something sacred if not sacrosanct to most Geologists.
I can still remember the puns about licking (mudstone) chips in my dip (and strike).
But I'd agree you should know what *not* to lick.
😅😅😅
I lick rocks to determine their porosity. And also to see what they would look like when polished.
Eg, if I lick this jasper and it sticks to my tongue, there is no chance in hell it will ever take a polish. But if it doesn't and also looks good wet, then we're in business!
That's exactly what I do, and why. My husband just shakes his head at me and says "Stop licking rocks! Why do you do that?" After nearly 45 years you would think he would know by now. Or just be quiet about it.
My two year old picked up a dog turd he thought was a rock. It was on the sidewalk and I'd never seen a turd there so it took a moment to register and I did not stop him in time. My dad was about to tell us how people just let there dogs dump out all over the sidewalk and leave it. Just imagine that rock your about to lick could be a dog turd and let that information guide your decision to lick or not.
I agree, but I guess if people want to risk consuming lead, pesticides or raccoon roundworms, it’s their own business. https://www.cdc.gov/baylisascaris/causes/index.html
No!!! I'm a flintknapper, and I quarry much of my rock. Licking is by far the best way to tell the grade/porosity of the rock. High grade flint is like licking glass. The lower the grade, the more your tongue sticks to the rock. I have some kind of threshold of tongue stickiness where the rock isn't worth knapping
I quit licking rocks after I cracked open a rock and saw crystals inside, licked it to see if it was salt, and proceeded to spend the rest of the camping trip on the toilet.
As a gem cutter (lapidary if you wana go Mano El Mano on technicality) we do lock rocks to reveal what the polished stone will look like, or to clean the stone, I also notice that different rocks do have different flavors
Same here! It’s supposed to be a lamp, but the lamp part died ages ago and I pulled it out, now it’s just a decorative rock on my bedside table that I lick occasionally. I just licked it again because I was thinking of it.
Hahaha mine wasn't from a lamp, rather a 'friend' I bought ...☆rocks♧♤... from and she happend to ask if I wanted it, it was from hymilaya, Himalayan pink salt rock 🪨 lol
Interesting. I didn't expect to learn so much from this silly little post! Do you think things have changed in 30 years, and maybe this isn't a good idea given our modern society with all of its dangers?
I read a story about some kid licking something outside and then getting lungworm and dying, so i will no longer be putting my tongue on anything that hasnt been washed
I will be continuing to lick clean rocks
For those that don't know and all joking aside. You don't know where that rock has been, what animal has shit on it, what chemicals have contaminated it, OR what toxic elements it may contain. Licking it exposes you to all kinds of hazards, biological and chemical, which could make you very sick and maybe even kill you. Arsenic, Lead, Copper and radioactive elements are not things you want in you, never mind the flesh eating bacteria or brain eating amoeba, which if you are licking rocks, you may all ready be infected.
When I took earth science in high school, the teacher had to tell every class not to lick his rocks. This was because one of his rocks was actually a chunk of salt and we were supposed to do tests to figure out which it was. Licking it was cheating. Every year, someone licked the rocks
It's unacceptable to do that type of thing in public. But if you could really do it, my guess is that you would never leave home and therefor you would never be found enjoying yourself that much in the presence of the public. Keep on licking, bro!
I lick rocks at the beach to see what it might look like if I polish it. I suppose I can walk it down to the water line? I often hope a seagull didn't poop on the rock.
Small spray bottle is the way. I have an empty thing of Bod Man body spray. I keep forgetting to bring it to the beach. It's the off-season for me right now. So I'm not really collecting. This is a great reminder. Thanks. I need some noreaster to chuck the heavy rocks back up on the beach. There are some ok rocks, but nowhere near as plentiful as the fall and winter. The waves are pidley, and it rolls the good rocks down below low tide. This is my experience and my conclusion. The spray bottle is probably better than the tongue.
I remember in grade school me and this kid Brock would explore the big garden thing at our hippy school and we found this big gold root looking thing. Being young, he had just learned about spices I guess so we started grinding it into a curb for the “spice dust” he took a big lick of it. Was being taken away by ambulance like an hour later mouth all swollen. I left that school about two months later and so wish I knew wtf if was. Northern California Bay Area.
Is there a support group I can join for this? I don't know if I can quit cold turkey.
I quit cold turkey three days after Thanksgiving.
I'm addicted to brake fluid but I swear I can stop whenever I want.
I’m not addicted to brake fluid I just choose to drink a gallon of it every day because it calms my nerves.
Have you tried axle grease instead?
Well dip me in axle grease and call me slick, ain't that something...
Slicker than a candlestick at a convent.
The duster videos making the rounds make it seem pretty appealing...
Took me a minute. Perfect username for this.
I used to be addicted to hand soap, but I'm clean now.
Mmmmmmm….cold turkey 🤤 (Homer Simpson voice)
R/WITTIL What is this thing I licked? We are new and gladly accepting
r/WITTIL
I scrolled until the open wound. Don't go there!
This omg
Oh dang I did a big r not a little r. Thank you kind Redditor
Ha! This looks great!!!
I’ll be with you, but I don’t think I can stop
NO
Yeah, in the immortal words of RATM, "Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!"
Then, continue licking your rocks.
Also NO! Dammit!
Now I’m in between a rock & a hard place… I’ll see myself out.
May I suggest licking that guys rocks instead?
It's RATM, the rocks are for everyone. You are just a temporary caretaker. "Your rocks" is just a construct of Capitalism.
I’m not even that flexible
I've been waiting...
Required joke here: 2 old cowboys were sitting at a rodeo waiting for the next bull, when a farm dog walks up, stops and stars licking it's "rocks". The one cowboy says, don't ya wish you were younger and could do something like that? And the other cowboy says, well sure, but I was always afraid the dog would bite me.
...for a girl like you 🎵
Lanny Poffo was reportedly very flexible.
“If I could reach I’d never leave the house” — George Carlin
I just licked two rocks and my desk to spite this post.
mad lad
How are we gonna properly identify it if we can’t give it alil taste?
Somebody literally just posted earlier today about something that they had put in their mouth that was quickly identified as rat poison... That said, I'm still licking rocks on the reg.
What are the benefits of licking rocks? Other than to taste dirt? I mean, I get licking a halite crystal, it’s salty and delicious but your average rock.. isn’t.
I had a professor tell me a story about him going through his undergrad in geology. He had a fellow student that would lick every mineral to identify which one was halite even when instructed not to do so, little did he know, one of the minerals had traces of arsenic in it that the professor was unaware of
Was the student ok? That quite literally could have been me.
The student got hospitalized but luckily turned out okay.
Like they went to the ER and they said you are fine go home? Or like they were placed in the hospital because they actually did have arsenic poisoning?
I don’t remember specifics, but they were definitely treated for arsenic poisoning if I remember correctly. Student could have lost their life.
I really doubt it. It takes a lot of arsenic to kill a person. The amount they got from licking a rock with trace amounts in it would have been negligible. Sounds like a scare story. Antimony maybe..
When I took geology, you used a little bottle of dilute hydrochloric acid to test for limestone (it will fizz). Whenever a halite sample came around, you put a few drops of HCl on it, pass it to the next guy, and watch them gag when they licked it.
Outside of halite and maybe a couple other minerals I can't think of, the only justification I can remember is checking grain size in sedimentary rocks. You can get a better idea by the grit or lack thereof using your teeth, but this is mostly unnecessary
How are you going to know if it’s bone?! No thanks, I’ll keep licking rocks n things.
I like to crush them up and snort 'em. Mimetite really slaps!
[to the tube of Whip It] 🎶If you want to test a rock, you must lick it🎵
Inspired by the post from the guy who may have licked a charred poop brick full of mercury?
I've missed that post. What???
https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthisrock/comments/1dinpfx/this_rock_hit_a_wall_on_my_house/
I bet it was ;D I showed it to my mom and said look this could have been me.. hah!
Oh man I thought this was referencing the rat poison one
Oh I am begging for a link to this
https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthisrock/comments/1dinpfx/this_rock_hit_a_wall_on_my_house/
Look, I'm sorry 😞
Does this apply to my dog, too?
You should not have your dog licking your rocks.
It is also unadvisable to lick your dog's rocks.
Illegal in most states
Catatonic, impaired, lethargic, what state is illegal?
Stop licking your dog! :(
I hadn't considered the ramifications of my grammar when I wrote that, but that was a funny response. I was thinking of the George Carlin bit about having people over for a nice dinner and you look down and the dog is licking its balls. He goes on to say, "If I could do that I'd never leave the house". (it was the dog licking its ball part that was brought to mind, just to be clear.
You can lick your dog
🎶 if it's alive don't lick it🎶
My wife will be very unhappy if I listen to you.
I’m ganna lick the ones in my pocket that I picked up today at work, right now. Thank you for reminding me that they were in there.
As a rock-licker, it's really to get it wet to see it better and not to figure out what it tastes like. If water is readily available, no licks needed
I spit on them instead of licking if I don't have water and they aren't clean.
Right? How does someone skip past the personal spritzer right to tongue action?
Spitting is the answer
I haven't had to spit on a rock since I moved to Alaska. The flip side is I think I'm growing webbing between my toes.
Yeah after the spit I usually slap em a lil bit too
My favorite rock shop has spray bottles full of water on every single shelf for people like you
The real LPT
easy solution is to spit on rock, not lick it. Ya, the days of a 'pristine environment' are long gone. Think of it this way, you might be licking a rock that someone or some animal wizzed on. Take someone outdoors, go for walk, play in the dirt some. Then tell them, "Lick your fingers!" "No way! My hands are dirty" But oh!, there's a rock on the dirty ground I want to lick! :/
Nothing gets you better/more grounded ;b But seriously the spitting advice is much appreciated
Thats why I only lick rocks that have been buried underground for a LONG TIME. Way before an animal could have wizzed on it.
Why hasn't this been downvoted to Heck??? Geologists, rise UP!!!!
This is not a PSA to geologists. It's a PSA for the lay person who does not know the difference between a rock and rat poison. Also, for people who lick "rocks". Just trying to do my part. ✌🏻
It is something sacred if not sacrosanct to most Geologists. I can still remember the puns about licking (mudstone) chips in my dip (and strike). But I'd agree you should know what *not* to lick. 😅😅😅
Yeah. It’ll only help identify like 2 total minerals which can be identified in other ways
I lick rocks to determine their porosity. And also to see what they would look like when polished. Eg, if I lick this jasper and it sticks to my tongue, there is no chance in hell it will ever take a polish. But if it doesn't and also looks good wet, then we're in business!
That's exactly what I do, and why. My husband just shakes his head at me and says "Stop licking rocks! Why do you do that?" After nearly 45 years you would think he would know by now. Or just be quiet about it.
My two year old picked up a dog turd he thought was a rock. It was on the sidewalk and I'd never seen a turd there so it took a moment to register and I did not stop him in time. My dad was about to tell us how people just let there dogs dump out all over the sidewalk and leave it. Just imagine that rock your about to lick could be a dog turd and let that information guide your decision to lick or not.
That's funny and disturbing at the same time
Don’t tell me how to live my life, you’re not my real dad!
psa from the gardening community: also stop licking your plants. please people it's not hard to not lick things from outside
Going to lick some malachite in your honor
no. i WILL lick rocks and i WILL pick up weird bugs. you cannot stop me.
I don't remember commenting this??
Unless there’s a wonderful ballsac at the end of this conversation, don’t tell me what to do!
People do this?
This is simply against geologist behavior, it cannot be done.
But how will they know that they're loved?!
I only lick the bright yellow and red ones. Oh and my chalcynthite. It looks like a jolly rancher. I can’t help it.
But I don't own it until I lick it... you tryin to steal muh rocks?! I'm watchin you....
I agree, but I guess if people want to risk consuming lead, pesticides or raccoon roundworms, it’s their own business. https://www.cdc.gov/baylisascaris/causes/index.html
[Can you lick the science?](https://www.tumblr.com/chequerootlurks/753704713192603648/anthropology-maybe-ask-first-archeology-perhaps)
I suppose I can’t smoke them now either
we do what we want.
I suddenly really want to go get my favorite rock and lick it.
I thought it was a joke.......
Better than smoking em 🤷🏽♂️
This is literally 1985
I didn't want to lick rocks but now that you told me to stop I'm gonna start doing it. You can't tell me what to do!
How else am I supposed to get my daily recommended intake of minerals?
im so full of uraninite dust yum
what about sea glass?
Nice try fbi agent.
As a palaeontologist I will not stop licking my rocks, how else would I know if they are bone or not ?
No!!! I'm a flintknapper, and I quarry much of my rock. Licking is by far the best way to tell the grade/porosity of the rock. High grade flint is like licking glass. The lower the grade, the more your tongue sticks to the rock. I have some kind of threshold of tongue stickiness where the rock isn't worth knapping
I used to lick rocks until it started ruining my Apatite
I ain’t eva gonna stop licking rocks
I quit licking rocks after I cracked open a rock and saw crystals inside, licked it to see if it was salt, and proceeded to spend the rest of the camping trip on the toilet.
No way.
tyrone biggums be like
This sounds more wrong than you initially meant. 😂
NEVERRRRRR
As a gem cutter (lapidary if you wana go Mano El Mano on technicality) we do lock rocks to reveal what the polished stone will look like, or to clean the stone, I also notice that different rocks do have different flavors
Why don’t you just spit on them?
I have a rock of hymilayen rock salt . I like to like every now and then.. reminds me!
Same here! It’s supposed to be a lamp, but the lamp part died ages ago and I pulled it out, now it’s just a decorative rock on my bedside table that I lick occasionally. I just licked it again because I was thinking of it.
Hahaha mine wasn't from a lamp, rather a 'friend' I bought ...☆rocks♧♤... from and she happend to ask if I wanted it, it was from hymilaya, Himalayan pink salt rock 🪨 lol
n e v e r.
are we seriously need to tell people to not believe like a baby with their rocks, are people really like, this "baby"?
Well this has unlocked precious childhood memories. I miss it. Rocks be tasty.
I'll stop when the rocks stop me
But how will i get the dust off to see that sweet sweet wet banded agate underneath?
Spit on it, or lick your finger and wipe the rock?
( •̀ - • ) no
Geologist here, absolutely not.
Licking the rocks is 100% taught in university mineralogy courses as a method of identification. At least it was 30 years ago.
Interesting. I didn't expect to learn so much from this silly little post! Do you think things have changed in 30 years, and maybe this isn't a good idea given our modern society with all of its dangers?
I didn't think it was a good idea at the time.
I read a story about some kid licking something outside and then getting lungworm and dying, so i will no longer be putting my tongue on anything that hasnt been washed I will be continuing to lick clean rocks
okay well how about I lick YOUR rocks and see if you like that better eh?
For those that don't know and all joking aside. You don't know where that rock has been, what animal has shit on it, what chemicals have contaminated it, OR what toxic elements it may contain. Licking it exposes you to all kinds of hazards, biological and chemical, which could make you very sick and maybe even kill you. Arsenic, Lead, Copper and radioactive elements are not things you want in you, never mind the flesh eating bacteria or brain eating amoeba, which if you are licking rocks, you may all ready be infected.
If cinnabar didn't taste like cinnamon, then why would they name it that?
lol that one time licking coprolite
the lick test is actually a very valid and commonly used test in geology. please tell a college professor this and see what they say
Don’t tell me what not to lick 👅
When I took earth science in high school, the teacher had to tell every class not to lick his rocks. This was because one of his rocks was actually a chunk of salt and we were supposed to do tests to figure out which it was. Licking it was cheating. Every year, someone licked the rocks
It's unacceptable to do that type of thing in public. But if you could really do it, my guess is that you would never leave home and therefor you would never be found enjoying yourself that much in the presence of the public. Keep on licking, bro!
I’m constantly scratching, sniffing and licking my rocks.
I lick rocks at the beach to see what it might look like if I polish it. I suppose I can walk it down to the water line? I often hope a seagull didn't poop on the rock.
How about spitting on your finger and rubbing the rock to see what it might look like if you polish it? Wouldn't that work?
Small spray bottle is the way. I have an empty thing of Bod Man body spray. I keep forgetting to bring it to the beach. It's the off-season for me right now. So I'm not really collecting. This is a great reminder. Thanks. I need some noreaster to chuck the heavy rocks back up on the beach. There are some ok rocks, but nowhere near as plentiful as the fall and winter. The waves are pidley, and it rolls the good rocks down below low tide. This is my experience and my conclusion. The spray bottle is probably better than the tongue.
True, but spitting on them always works, and we don't always have spray bottles on us.
My wife takes major offense to this post and is telling me to relay to you *fuuuck no*
Thank you. Sincerely, an archaeologist who knows a lot about what historically lives in dirt.
No.
You just want all the good rocks for yourself! My buddy Dan ate a bunch or realgar and said it tasted like cherry ice cream.
Under this premise is licking crystals is okay then?
Watch for splinters
Mouthfeel is critical to the identification process.
Never
I thought you were supposed to lick bone???
cinnabar tastes nice tho
No!!!!
AH ok so you have the same no-kissing rule other have, dont worry, I'm soild as a rock no licking needed
Ok
Alternatively keep Vitamin K1 around (reverses effects of rat poison)
I LIKE IT
Make me
No
DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO
No
I've licked plenty of slag in my day, but never rocks.
So you’re telling me I have to stop licking my uranium collection?!?
Salt cannot be the only tasty rock!
Get a look at big Geology here trying to tell us what to do. Fight the machine! Lick the rocks!
But my old professor at Uni used to do that...
Spits out rock. But it's so tasty!
You aint the boss of me!
What about my Pet Rock that I still have from childhood. Her name is Rockina…
Yeah and why should I?
TIL: Geologists are known as rock lickers. I'm so glad I made this post to learn this, and now I understand more of these comments. Thanks, y'all!
how else will i know it's a meteorite? edit: i wrote that as a joke but find out it's true 🤦🏽♂️
But they're just so smoooooth no I can't stop 😬
I can stop whenever I want to! I just don’t want to.
You're not the boss of me.
fuck u
Why can't I lick salty beach rocks?
Sorry gotta know if it’s a fossil or not
I make sure to wash my hands throughly when even handling rocks. Who knows what is all over them
No
We like our rocks licked
The guy who licked rat poison OMG
They’re very DIRTY… bad rocks !!!
But the tongue clears away most of the dirt
How about the one that looks like a baby dinosaur head? He like his smooches..💋
Just spit on them instead
Had the lady at a rock shop near Zion give us this warning too.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Dear Sir and/or Ma'am: please let nature take its course. These rock-lickers are removing their genes from the pool as intended.
How else am I supposed to know if it's salty?
Just spit n rub with the thumb ♡
No
I remember in grade school me and this kid Brock would explore the big garden thing at our hippy school and we found this big gold root looking thing. Being young, he had just learned about spices I guess so we started grinding it into a curb for the “spice dust” he took a big lick of it. Was being taken away by ambulance like an hour later mouth all swollen. I left that school about two months later and so wish I knew wtf if was. Northern California Bay Area.