When the brain shuts down…
By sylvia
So today I am at home, recovering from a 3 day hormone migraine, watching Spongebob, and playing with my new phone. Everyone needs a day or two sometimes to just turn your brain off, and I’ve done that today, around the pain and sleeeping.
So it got me thinking – can you roll your tongue? I cannot. I used to get so frustrated with people who would say “you’re not trying hard enough” when they would show me that they could. Because it’s not something you can learn. You are either born with the ability to do it or not.
And I’ve found that if you can roll your tongue, you can also do the Vulcan ‘V’ thing with your fingers, yet another thing you can’t learn.
So I’m hypothesizing here – I’m gonna put it out there and say that if you can do one, you can do the other, but not just one.
I am truly fascinated and grossed out by the tongue thing, and totally jealous of being able to do neither.
So please, for the love of Bea Arthur, please comment and support my hypothesis, or send me some data to disprove it!
Sorry to contradict your theory, but I’m a non-roller but I can do the V-hand thing! I remember the tongue roll was one of the things they discussed in high school about genetics (you got it or you don’t) – along with bent/straight pinkies and attached/detached earlobes. I think the hand thing is something you can technically learn, but can’t say for sure. Hopefully others will chime in, too!
I can do both. Clearly I am better than you.
I can roll and do the Vulcan V!
Non-roller here who can do the Vulcan handsign… sorry to go against the theory! My maternal grandmother and my mother can both tongue roll, so I really thought I was a freak for not being able to do it.
Tongue rolling is completely genetic. It cannot be learned. I teach HS biology. I don’t know about the V thing (I can, but I have to think about it to make me fingers go the right way).
Yeah, sorry. Mr. Interrupted can do the Vulcan hand, but he can’t roll his tongue. It was a cool theory though. Hey, did you know that being able to do cartwheel is also genetic? I wish I had known that when I was 7. Everyone told me (as I practically KILLED myself in the yard trying to do it) that I was too fat for cartwheels. Assholes.
I can do both, but really could care less about the Vulcan thing. It has no practical value. The tongue thing is, however, very useful. It creates a straw, which you can use with a cup made from your hand. Ta da — no dishes! It is also useful if you want to give awesome blow jobs. And don’t we all?
Being able to do a cartwheel is genetic? Man o man, I just got some self esteem back!
By “roll you tongue” do you mean bend it like a hot dog bun, or trill it like a Spanish “r” sound? (I’ve heard the expression used to mean both.) I can do the Vulcan V, and I can roll my tongue (as in bend), but I have a hard time trilling it…
(Sorry for the double-post…I’m impatient.)
I think there’s something about taste that’s genetic as well, so long as we’re on the subject of random/useless thoughts. For example, I always thought people were freaking crazy to dislike Dr. Pepper until I got sick once and tried to drink it and discovered that it tasted like cough medicine.
So I hypothesize that I have a far superior sense of taste than those who think Dr. Pepper tastes like cough medicine, since I can only share their dislike when my sinuses are clogged and I’m throwing up.
People who hate Dr. Pepper also tend to hate vegetables, I’ve noticed…but people who hate vegetables don’t necessarily hate Dr. Pepper. PROVE ME WRONG!
As has already been pointed out, your theory is wrong. But there are other ties. If you can’t roll your tongue, then you’re 73% more likely to die in a blender-related accident. Similarly, if you can’t do the Vulcan sign, then you are 58% more likely to smell like artichoke.
Science!
Peace,
Shannon
p.s. I can do both. HAHA!
Both…but I have no reason to do either? Weird, I have never thought of either of these things and what they might mean in my life. I will now.
I am also going to submit the theory that hula hooping is purely genetic, and that’s why I cannot do it, not because I am an uncoordinated spaz.
I can do both, but I just asked a girl at my work if she could do both. She can only roll her tongue. Sorry!
I think you could probably learn the Vulcan thing though, I have vague recollections of not being able to do it, but now that my hands are stronger and more co-ordinated it’s not an issue.
so, like, am I the only one that can’t do either? There goes all that self-esteem I gained from learning about the cartwheel thing!
Sorry…I’m another one who can do both. (Of course, I’m also a left handed woman with type AB+ blood, so I’m clearly pretty special.) I have a friend who can make her tongue into a clover shape. That’s one I really can’t do. Sad.
I’m also a non-roller who can do the Vulcan V thing with my fingers.
I used to be able to roll my tongue… but I had surgery on my jaw when I was a teenager, and they cut the front of my tongue off so it wouldn’t be too big for my mouth and push my jaw out.
Now… no more tongue rolling. I also no cannot roll my spanish Rs
I can, however, do the Vulcan hand thing
I can do the Vulcan thing but cannot roll my tongue.
However, I can also raise one eyebrow Vulcan style. So there.
I believe it is definitely genetic. My mother in-law cannot roll her tongue or do the vulcan thing and neither can my middle daughter, however I can do both! My ex can also wiggle his ears, but I think that just makes him weird!
I cannot roll my tongue (although my mother and both my sisters can – now I have to check with my dad to see if he can). I CAN do the Vulcan thing, but only with my left hand. And I’m right handed. So that’s weird.
I can do the Vulcan hand thing… but I don’t think it’s just genetic. I couldn’t do it the first time I tried as a kid, but after practicing a few times it became easier and I’ve been able to do it ever since. It’s probably a combination of genetics and experiences, like lots of things.
I can’t do anything cool with my tongue. I also can’t whistle at all.
Well, okay, there are probably individuals who would disagree about me not being able to do anything cool with my tongue. But I can’t roll it.
Oh, and I can’t wink without making very weird faces.
I can do the vulcan salute but I most definitely can’t roll my tongue. and trust me, i’ve tried, a lot.
I can do all sorts of things with my tongue. Also, I can do the Vulcan thing.
Hypothesis supported! (???)
ahahahh! I can do it all!! roll tongue, vulcan hand and lift my eyebrow vulcan style. Sorry jaed!
May I just say (completely helped out by 4 rum and cokes) That Zaftig chicks is one of very few blogs where I feel confident commenting within the Fat-o-sphere, you are my type of people!
I can do both- even when I spread my fingers or am resting I do it sometimes. My pinky finger also likes to spread out far- I guess I just have flexible fingers! I can also make my tongue wrinkle up into a w.
Well, I do not think there is a validity to this notion of genetics. However, here is some proof:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v30/aedved2/Photo23.jpg?t=1257325458
Baz Brush – YAY! And we LOVE RUM & COKE
I can do both. However there is a magical even more advanced version of the tounge thing that I have seen done once (on tv I think) where some people can make their tounge shape like a W. I have spent a lot of time practicing this in front of the mirror (and yes, it looks ridiculous!) but so far, no magic for me.
Also, as a bit of an aside – did you know that the guy who plays young Spock in the newest Star Trek can’t do the Vulcan hand thing and they had to glue his fingers together for the scene where he needed to do it? GOLD.
I can do both, and with my left hand, I can do the Vulcan birdie, after I broke my wrist. I can do the eyebrow too.
I can roll my tongue, and in a myriad of ways, but I cannot do the Vulcan thing. So there goes the theory!
i can roll my tongue but it’s actually physically impossible for me to do a vulcan v, with either hand, no matter how hard i try!!
I can’t roll my tongue and I can only do the vulcan thing if I try really really hard… but I CAN tie a cherry stem with my tongue in 3 seconds or less ^.^ I do have SOME talent lol