Monday, April 19, 2010

Collecting lung boogers

Spitting, considered annoying by some and rude by others, is just plain fun. When you haven't got a kleenex handy, it is also a great way to expell excess mucus. The first person I ever knew to "hock a loogie" is my stepdad, who does so quite frequently. I used to think it was really gross until I learned how to do it.

Recently, I have employed my "hocking" abilities after going for a bike ride on a chilly day. After exercising, I always seem to have extra mucus build up, esp. in my throat. Spitting is a good way to alleviate some of this discomfort.

A site I visited (http://www.wisegeek.com/) suggests that spitting is more common among the following people:
1. Those experiencing chest congestion.
2. Heavy smokers (my stepdad used to fall into this category).
3. People who enjoy expelling mucus for visceral effect (which would be me).

Hocking a loogie can serve as a decent substitute for sneezing or coughing to relieve chest congestion. One of the reasons why spitting is considered rude is because sometimes people spit at each other as an insult. I, for one, have never spat at anything other than the ground, a napkin, a sink or a toilet. (Yes, it would seem that I spit fairly frequently).

As far as the phrase "hock a loogie" goes, it consists of two distinct parts. "Hock" is a sort of onomatopoeia describing the hacking sound of spitting. And according to one source, "loogie" is a shortened version of "lung booger" but I could not confirm that claim.

I will continue to imitate a preadolescent boy in my spitting and fascination with bodily functions and excretions. Until next time...keep your lungs clear and collect some loogies for me.

1 comment:

  1. Just make sure the water is running before you hock a loogie in the sink or that thing may stick straight to the sink.

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