This is probably the oddest question you may be asked but it was asked at my family christmas dinner one year. my dad and three brothers all said yes myself, step mum and two of my sister-in-laws said no the other admitted later that she had. The other day i put this question to two friends one male one female the man said yes the woman said no. I post this to try to prove that men will try this but woman can't see the reason why.

I am in no way suggesting that anyone tries this.

It tastes funny. Not sensation funny, just taste funny.

Can't say I've ever wanted to try. I've been electrocuted (not too badly) before and it wasn't pleasant, so I was always afraid a similar thing would happen.

I know I've licked a 9V, although I can't recall why. But I remember the taste: metallic bittersweet.

I voted yes. I feel like the answer is yes. But for the life of me, I cannot remember when or why.

What brought this up, if I might ask?

Bethy

Ditto to Roger. I shocked myself on some Xmas lights (at least 15 years ago), so electricity and I try to stay in neutral territory.

JD

Well, I voted, "No, why would I do that?" But I have been tempted before (but never had the guts).

And the reason why one might lick a battery, you ask? Why to see if works, of course. At least that's what my father always said, and he always seemed to find the batteries that worked so I'm assuming he licked them. He always said if they worked that you'd get a mild tingle.

Well, it wasn't a 9 V battery, but a 4.5 V battery, but I still voted yes. And as to why I would do that: It was the easiest way to find out if the battery was empty. And since 4.5 V don't really hurt - it's more like a prickling sensation - it didn't bother me at all.

I have absolutely never heard that anyone might lick a battery. But when I was a kid, I was strenuously warned never to lick a lamppost in the winter. If it's cold outside and you lick something made of metal, your saliva will freeze and your tongue will get stuck onto the lamppost! As a kid I was really scared that this might somehow happen to me!

[img]http://www.pro.se/PageFiles/23960/Hörneforsrevyn%203.bmp[/img]

Ann

Well, it IS the fasted way to finding out if the battery works. And if you have a whole battery of batteries and need a good one.

Michael

Oh I have to ask this, how does licking a battery tell you if it is good?

I learned this the hard way when sledding one winter. But at least I was smart enough not to panic. I got some spit on the part of my tongue that was stuck and it came loose immediately.


It will give a little tingle or a prickle - in other words, a extremely mild electric shock.

I remember doing this several times when I was a kid, but these days I have electrical test gear at work and at home so there isn't much point any more.

I was very curious to know the question after such intro..and when i read it I was like *who* would do that???

I've never done that, really but for some reason I had the notion what it tasted like ( ).

Carolyn

I have four brothers and each of them have done this I believe that I'm the smartest in the family. I wanted to prove my theroy that men would do this but woman wouldn't I'm being proven wrong looking at the results.

I think you are proven more right than wrong, Rod. A majority of the (admittedly very few) men who answered your poll have indeed licked a battery, but a rather large majority of the women who answered the poll have not.

Ann

I took the plunge... But it was an AAA battery and I barely felt anything.

Funnily enough, my dad made me when I was a kid, and, being a trusting kid, I licked it. He used/uses them for his wireless receiver for his guitar. Haven't licked many since - after all, the wii uses aa's.

Anyone ever licked one of the big batteries they use in physics classes when teaching about circuits? I'd be interested to hear that story!

That won't work. Has to be a 9V because both poles are on the same end....unless you have a very unusual tongue???

James

I couldn't bring myself ever to do it.

My hubbie used to do it a lot when he was younger to test them.

ICK.

DH did this with the new 9V we put in the smoke detector the other night with all the kids - 3yo DD thought it was great fun...

Carol

Would you believe that this morning a guy said on Swedish radio that he licked a lamppost in winter when he was a kid - and he lost a quarter inch of his tongue??? He added that he had had sessions with a speech therapist for years....

Ann

Yee-ouch! He must have done it up really good, huh?

Well, to tell you the truth, I think he was pulling our legs! (I mean, seriously...!!!!)

Ann

I voted for (female) no, why would I do that. But, then out of curiosity, I went and found one, closed my eyes and licked.

Felt like cold metal. Thank God, I'd feared for a moment I might get electrocuted, even though I knew I wont.