What would prompt an adult to pick their nose and eat it?
Asked by
deni (
23141
)
October 8th, 2009
I feel gross just asking this question. It’s pretty self explanatory though.
Back story – today I was sitting in my “college algebra” class and the guy behind me tapped me and told me he just saw some kid a few rows over pick his nose and eat it. I thought “no way, no one does that”. Then I looked over, and with my own two eyes, I saw it. This kid was SHAMELESSLY picking his nose, really digging in there, and licking it off his finger. I was in shock. I sat with my jaw dropped and stared. Rude, I know, but this was true disbelief.
Have you ever done this?! Another question – WHAT WOULD PROMPT someone to do this?
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39 Answers
I once babysat for a family where the eldest girl once told me she loved standing at the bus stop on cold, snowy days. She said she liked to lick the runny snot out of her nose.
What the hell are yous supposed to say to that?! I just nodded and tried to forget it…obviously I haven’t forgotten since that was prolly 20yrs ago now.
I probably have. I was three years old for a year. But not recently.
But the thought of an adult doing it makes me think WTF?.
@SpatzieLover ewww that makes me think of the scene in dumb and dumber where they get off the bike and they both have snot frozen to their faces. i gag at the thought.
@johnpowell EXACTLY. which is why my jaw hung open for so long! lol
Not that I remember, but I suppose it’s possible. Don’t all kids try their boogers at some point? My kids stopped doing it around 4 or 5 years old, so they might not even remember as adults that they were once nose miners.
Ew I don’t remember ever doing that. That’s gross but I still do know a couple of people who eat their boogers. Yuck.
Am I the only one who never ate any of that…material…when I was younger? I’ve never done that. I’ve always thought it was so gross even at a young age…
Not to mention it can spread the flu/cold (by getting it on your finger).
Eating your boogers boosts your immune system! lol
it’s a nervous habit for some people
@DominicX You’re not the only one, I never did that either.
Habit.
What would cause someone to crack their knuckles? What would cause someone to chew on, or twirl, their pen? What would cause someone to tap their fingers on the desk, or their feet on the ground?
The revulsion you feel is understandable, but not very rational. Every human being consumes nasal mucus all day every day, just because of the way the nasolaryngeal pathways are formed. OK, so it’s not indurated, and you don’t do it with a public gesture, but nevertheless you are doing it.
We call our nieces & nephews “the booger eaters”. not to their faces of course ;) Their parents don’t believe in nose blowing No I am not joking here
@pdworkin Sure you are doing it without even thinking all day, but it’s not intentionally put into your mouth… what do you even do with it once its in your mouth? i imagine its too small to CHEW and probably hard to even feel where it is so that you can swallow it…its just odd.
Hunger? Spiritual belief?
The guy could have been doing it purely to freak you out. I mean this is college we are talking about, lol. I really don’t know what would prompt an adult to eat their boogers unless it was for this reason. I’m sure you think he didn’t notice you looking but I bet he did.
@RedPowerLady oh that reminds me! so we are staring at him after we caught him in the act, and at one point it was clear he noticed us looking…so he tried to play it off..and then he stopped for a while, and when he resumed it was full on nose mining, looking at it, then shoving it in his mouth. it is possible that he was trying to freak us out, as you said, but he’s a pretty strange person so i wouldn’t put it far past him that he was doing it just because lol
@Sarcasm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm delicious…i suppose i can take this question down now…
Inside everybody’s nose
There lives a sharp-toothed snail.
So if you stick your finger in,
He may bite off your nail.
Stick it farther up inside,
And he may bite your ring off.
Stick it all the way, and he
May bite the whole darn thing off.
—Shel Silverstein, Where the Sidewalk Ends
@deni Ya I met my share of strange college students as well. When I was in school there was this guy who refused to buy new clothes (because of his beliefs against capitalism) which is all good and cool. But when they ripped he would tape them with duck tape. Well one particular rip was on his rear and it would often come un-taped. He didn’t wear skimmies….. This of course went right along with his very odd personality.
If you time it right, you have a crunchy, salty snack for free.
Ugh. And I thought the ear cheese question was gross.
A few months ago galicalled linked to a New York Times article that mentioned the dead or dying American pastime of slug licking. Naturally I went outside, found a slug, and licked its underside.
So here goes. I’m going to wash my hands first.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
My nose did not contain any well formed buggers, but my finger did pick up some slime. It was slightly salty, but really didn’t have much taste. It was not a pleasant experience, but not a very unpleasant one either. I don’t see why someone would want to do it, nor do I see what is so very gross about it. I don’t think I’ll be doing it again.
@petethepothead Thank you, brave soul, for taking on the role of guinea pig.
Oooo what? You guys don’t do that? Missing out on nasty nasty booger treats.
Mmmmm… tasty booooooger treats!
@petethepothead So did you get a ‘goofy feeling’ from the slug? That is the reason most people lick them.
@petethepothead: Of all the things to be remembered for (and it was a banana slug)! From a column by Nicholas Kristof:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/02/opinion/02kristof.html
Opening: While backpacking here (Mt. Hood) with my 11-year-old daughter, I kept thinking of something tragic: so few kids these days know what happens when you lick a big yellow banana slug.
================
Last paragraph: Oh, and the slug? Time was, most kids knew that if you licked the underside of a banana slug, your tongue went numb. Better that than have them numb their senses staying cooped up inside.
@gailcalled Ahh.. Mt. Hood. It’s beautiful isn’t it?
You’ve heard of the banana slugs but have you heard of licking frogs? hehe ;) People always think it is weird when I ask about the slugs and frogs.
@gailcalled: The slug I found wasn’t a banana slug, but it did numb my tongue.
It cracks me up the direction some threads take!
Eating boogers developing into licking frogs and banana slugs. Epic win!
Such a Repulsive thought. When I was in kindergarten, the kids were saying we were “getting a new kid who picks his nose and puts the “boogers” on HIS FACE.” I did Not believe it. He Did arrive; his name was Milton. I went up fairly close to him and there they were plastered all over his cheeks. GAG.
@deni It’s the stuff nightmares are made of. I get this sick look on my face just remembering it. DISGUSTING. I wonder if he stopped and when? I wonder what “flaw” a man could have worse than this one?
This topic makes me feel like throwing up.
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