Spitting: Encyclopedia - Spitting

Spitting

Spitting is the act of forcibly ejecting saliva or other substances from the mouth. In some cultures it is seen as offensive to spit in public, whereas it is widely tolerated in others.

Spitting upon another person, especially onto their face, is a near-universal sign of anger, hatred or contempt. It is possible to transmit infectious diseases in this way.

In London, bus drivers have recently been given equipment to collect saliva when they are spat upon by irate passengers. The police can then analyse the DNA of the offender.

In much of China, spitting in public has traditionally been widely tolerated, although attitudes are changing.

Spitting - History of spitting in western Europe

Social attitudes towards spitting have changed greatly in western Europe since the Middle Ages. Then, frequent spitting was part of everyday life at all levels of society - indeed, it was thought ill-mannered to suck back saliva to avoid spitting. By the early 1700s, spitting had become seen as something which should be concealed, and by 1859 many viewed the habit as extremely vulgar. Spittoons were used openly during the nineteenth century to provide an acceptable outlet for spitters. In the early twentieth century, spittoon users became more surreptitious, and their use has since diminished.

See also

• Spittoon
• Spitting fetishism
• Cherry pit spitting
• Drooling

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Spitting", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki