Is licking your fingers while eating a sign of social decay?

SlavOz on 22/06/2022 - 21:57
Last edited 22/06/2022 - 21:59

I'm far from the most hygienic person, at least according to most social norms. But people who lick their fingers while eating seem to be on a whole new level of degeneracy. Like, what possible reason could you have for doing that? You're going to swallow a fingerfull of bacteria, skin cells, and oil just to get an extra drop of your mayonnaise?

Is it a cost saving thing to get the most out of your jar of sauce? Or do you just love the sauce so much that you're willing to engage in socially tabboo and disgusting behaviour to show affection to it?

Here's an idea - let the food drip on your plate, then lick your plate when you're done. I think it's telling how clouted in judgement our society is that this would be considered awkward but licking your fingers, even post-covid, is widely acceptable.

I hereby request anyone who does this to stop and be normal.

Food & Grocery

Comments

  • rektrading on 22/06/2022 - 21:59
    +113

    Who doesn't like to lick on their fingers?

      • Dreamcast on 23/06/2022 - 21:18
        +10

        Finger licking good

    • Drakesy on 22/06/2022 - 22:09
      +26

      Wait, is the OP saying the KFC technique isn't evolutionary superior way of eating?

      I thought it was the epitome of etiquette

      Gotta give it to SlavOz for coming up with topics straight out of left field.

      • poohduck on 22/06/2022 - 22:25
        +4

        conservative, judgemental and controlling? I don't think that is left field.

        • ccrap on 24/06/2022 - 00:58
          +2

          the /s was invisible but present :)

        • Lukematic on 24/06/2022 - 18:29
          +1

          left field is not a political reference

    • leiiv on 23/06/2022 - 01:07

      or anything else that matters.

  • jv on 22/06/2022 - 22:01
    +28

    Is licking your fingers while eating a sign of social decay?

    No, I always brush my teeth after eating.

      • Carmen Sandiego on 24/06/2022 - 09:10

        Tell that to South Korea who do that

      • tensionday on 24/06/2022 - 19:17
        +3

        You don't brush your teeth after eating? Pot calling the kettle black?

        • altomic on 26/06/2022 - 10:16

          I brush my teeth whilst eating

    • Mr Haj on 24/06/2022 - 08:20

      But how do you keep your fingers clean?

    • Serapis on 24/06/2022 - 19:47
      +1

      I brush my teeth with my fingers

  • mapax on 22/06/2022 - 22:02
    +35

    on a whole new level of degeneracy

    No. You’re thinking of people who lick other peoples fingers and other body parts in public.

    • iNeed2Pee on 22/06/2022 - 22:03
      +2

      I got no issue with that 😂😂

    • SlavOz on 22/06/2022 - 22:04
      +8

      Stupid babies. They do it all the time.

      • skillet on 24/06/2022 - 22:05

        Yup they also suck milk.

  • SupeNintendoChalmers on 22/06/2022 - 22:04
    +10

    Depends on the food and company. For example eating chicken wings requires fingers and if it were close friends or family I'd totally lick my chipotle covered meat forks.

    Licking fingers after eating wings in front a of first date, maybe not.

    • Pecan on 22/06/2022 - 22:06
      +22

      Licking fingers after eating wings in front a of first date, maybe not.

      If done in a seductive manner, may increase your chances of a second date though…

      • DarkOz on 23/06/2022 - 07:52
        +2

        What if she was the one doing the licking, there won't a second date. I think you have already scored.

        • WhyAmICommenting on 24/06/2022 - 06:59
          +3

          That would be a very strong green light - particularly if she was maintaining eye contact and not purely enjoying the food.

      • plasmog on 24/06/2022 - 16:15
        +19

        At the end of a first date I have a spit covered bone in the middle of my legs, we live in a society

      • GrueHunter on 24/06/2022 - 23:46
        +9

        Look at you pretending you have the faintest idea what it's like to go on a date.

  • iNeed2Pee on 22/06/2022 - 22:04
    +23

    I eat using my fingers, I then lick my fingers, go to the toilet, don't wash my hands after I am done and finish off shaking other peoples hands.

    Cycle continues.

    • AustriaBargain on 23/06/2022 - 02:48
      +36

      I shake other people's penis at the urinal. And then I don't wash their hands.

      • SillySorjai on 23/06/2022 - 23:33
        +5

        I had to read this a couple times before I understood it

        I was thinking what a weird concierge job you have there

  • holdenmg on 22/06/2022 - 22:04
    +77

    Off the Meds week again is it? lol

    • whatwasherproblem on 23/06/2022 - 11:29
      +18

      I'll be honest, I'm starting to think this SlavOz fellow might not be all there.

      • johnno07 on 24/06/2022 - 17:33
        +4

        Starting? Old mate's been off his rocker for a while. His literal first comment established his "what I say is fact" bullsh*t style.
        https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/6981657/redir

        • SierraBMel on 25/06/2022 - 09:32
          +3

          I always wonder if these sort of accounts are downvote trolls or some sort of surrealist performance art, or genuinely this amazing in their beliefs.

          Years and years ago, I met a guy who’d been trolling the shit out of niche social group I was in. My girlfriend at the time decided he just needed a friend or something and organised to meet him for coffee in the park. I went along because the internet persona of this guy was pretty awful.

          Guy was a nice, normal enough person face to face - he just had a personal circumstance that some people had been shitty about to him and he’d rationalised being a super intense troll for … reasons. It made a certain amount of sense from his perspective I’ll admit. He was right that people had treated him really awfully over something that wasn’t his fault and wasn’t a big deal. I tried to make a case that what he was doing wasn’t the best plan but didn’t really get through. He made a really vulnerable request as he was leaving that I not tell his enemies online about his circumstances.

          It was like ten years ago now - I hear the dude still pops up occasionally to troll. I still keep my mouth shut about the thing he didn’t want people to know. Mostly I just think about meeting this shy vulnerable dude who was a complete jerk on the internet - but actually I mostly felt sorry for him when I got the context.

          Older and marginally smarter, I kinda wish I’d made more of an effort to help the guy out. I couldn’t figure out how at the time. Now I have some thoughts on stuff I wish I’d tried. But mostly I just wonder if he was the anomaly and internet trolls are as unbearable in person as they seem online or if there’s some context that puts their shtick in a different light.

        • Ughhh on 25/06/2022 - 09:55
          +3

          He has also suggested before that he knows an athletes medical condition more than the athletes doctor themself. Despite him having zero medical education.
          Is he even aware of his delusions and Bs?
          I really hope he's just a pro troll, because it's getting sad.

  • SBOB on 22/06/2022 - 22:04
    +57

    What kind of low class people do you hang around?
    I eat my Snickers bar with a knife and fork ……

      • DarkOz on 24/06/2022 - 08:54
        +6

        Did you cut the wrapper with a pair of scissors?

        • CocaKoala on 24/06/2022 - 09:06
          +2

          How disgusting? You must buy a new scissor every time, and use it wearing a glove to cut the wrapper. You must then proceed to discard the whole thing including the gloves because now the SEAL IS BRACHED and the bacteria has come in contact with food. Eww. You must then kill yourself too because there are too many bacterias on your skin.

  • MS Paint on 22/06/2022 - 22:05
    +2

    Finger licking good

  • sjj89 on 22/06/2022 - 22:09
    +12

    People have been licking their fingers since the dawn of humanity

    • sjj89 on 22/06/2022 - 22:12
      +10

      What’s next from SO?

      “Is kids playing outside in the DIRT a sign of societal degeneration?
      They’re going to get covered in bacteria, grime, and mud just to get some outdoor playtime?”

        • Chandler on 23/06/2022 - 12:16
          +9

          Why are you defending attacking the finger lickers? They don't care about you.

        • Bren20 on 24/06/2022 - 08:41

          upvoted just based on the pure absurdity of the sentence

    • AustriaBargain on 23/06/2022 - 02:52
      +6

      We licked our paws 10 million years ago, we licked our claws 300 million years ago, and we licked our fins 400 million years ago. I don't see why we should stop now. Whatever disease is on your fingers when you eat your chicken wings is going in your mouth anyway when you touch your food and eat it.

      • SlavOz on 23/06/2022 - 12:22
        -3

        Whatever disease is on your fingers when you eat your chicken wings is going in your mouth anyway when you touch your food and eat it.

        Moist from your saliva is a prime agent for bacteria to travel through. Finger licking is much worse than simply touching your food. You're basically loosening the bacteria on your fingers and then sucking it into your mouth.

        • sjj89 on 23/06/2022 - 18:59
          +7

          That’s how one builds natural immunity, my friend

          • pais on 24/06/2022 - 14:57

            @sjj89: Is there a vaccine for that?

        • WhyAmICommenting on 24/06/2022 - 07:10

          Ever wonder why kids have such rubbish immune systems and high allergies these days? Part of it is our “clean” obsession.

          Btw, the mouth is not as clean as a vagina - vaginas self clean.

        • Nereosis on 30/06/2022 - 10:45

          tell me you don't understand bacteria without telling me you don't understand bacteria

  • Hardlyworkin on 22/06/2022 - 22:09
    +7

    I believe it's only ok if you make eye contact with someone at the same time.

  • Anonymous101 on 22/06/2022 - 22:13
    +1

    Chill. You are sounding like you have seen someone licking their finger after wiping their ass 😁

  • poohduck on 22/06/2022 - 22:18
    +7

    Meanwhile in Ukraine…

  • SF3 on 22/06/2022 - 22:19
    +9

    Is licking your fingers while eating a sign of social decay?
    You're going to swallow a fingerfull of bacteria

    It's for those that believe in natural immunity. I thought this would be up OP's aisle.

    • SlavOz on 22/06/2022 - 22:22
      -2

      This would be the equivalent of licking the tip of the vax needle to make sure you get every last drop 😂

  • El cheepo on 22/06/2022 - 22:32
    +12

    I hereby request anyone who does this to stop and be normal.

    The irony 😂

  • sharkyoz on 22/06/2022 - 22:55

    licking the fingers is a coprophagic's delight

  • Dave Bowman on 22/06/2022 - 23:00
    +8

    I can tell you're no fun in the bedroom.

  • randomusername2017 on 22/06/2022 - 23:12

    engage in socially tabboo and disgusting behaviour to show affection to it?

    American Pie…

  • AussieDaddy on 22/06/2022 - 23:27
    +1

    Knowing what people do with their mouths and where they stick their tongues in these days, licking fingers will be the least of anyone's worries. And no, I don't lick my fingers. At least not in public. 😉

  • morse on 23/06/2022 - 02:53
    +5

    My 2yo doesn’t think so. But then again he says ‘boogers are tasty’.

    You're going to swallow a fingerfull of bacteria

    I thought you were all about the ‘natural immunity’.

    • Mr Haj on 24/06/2022 - 08:23

      he says ‘boogers are tasty’

      he's right…

  • bobbified on 23/06/2022 - 07:32
    +4

    You're going to swallow a fingerfull of bacteria, skin cells

    If you think licking fingers is bad, I bet you've never had a girlfriend (or boyfriend)! 😅

  • Sunshines bright on 23/06/2022 - 07:40
    +2

    Finger licking has a time, place, and food type. Some foods just call out for 👅 but where you are matters most of the time. Barbecue 🍗 definitely needs 👅 or your fingers get full of messy sauce as do chicken wings and some messy sandwiches 🥪 will require a good suck of the fingers. Nice/fine dining restaurant should not serve messy foods.

  • Donaldhump on 23/06/2022 - 08:10
    -4

    yes its disgusting, but if people want to lick their shit sticks leave them be. It's up there with wearing hats indoors, chewing with your mouth open.

    I personally hate people who chew gum non stop with their mouth open like Viv Richards batting in his prime, but can't stop them

  • Geoff01 on 23/06/2022 - 08:28
    +5

    Not many enjoyable things left in life due to all the pathetic PC rules. Don't stop one of the last joys of eating take out or chips. Besides you have eaten a gob full of bacteria eating the food with fingers never mind licking them after. Out of curiosity what do you do after a pack of chips while put for a walk, hide your hand till you find a tap. You definately are in the minority 1%

  • Caped Baldy on 23/06/2022 - 09:38

    Oh, hi Slav!

    Nah, I don't think it is normally. I typically only use my thumb and index finger if eating with my hands. If the person is licking each and every finger in public then yes, it is a bit gross.

  • SlickMick on 23/06/2022 - 09:58
    +2

    I'm also a plate licker, so you aren't going to like by views on finger licking.

    Seems an awful waste to not get that extra bit of flavour between bites. And why would you waste what's left on the plate? There are starving kids in Africa and you want be to just wash the extras down the drain?

    • harveyworld on 23/06/2022 - 11:09
      +1

      Me too…. I love mopping up the gravy/sauce on my plate at the end of a delicious meal.

      I usually get a smack around the head from the missus if I'm caught, but it's so worth it.
      I see it as saving on the washing up too and as you say I'm doing my bit for the environment in regards to waste.

    • ATangk on 23/06/2022 - 18:53

      Plate licking is reserved only for the best foods. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR-OyNp5TSo

  • timthetoolman on 23/06/2022 - 11:01
    +1

    even post-covid

    The irony

  • Diji on 23/06/2022 - 11:14
    +1

    It's practice for a more intimate type of licking

  • spackbace on 23/06/2022 - 11:22

    If that's an issue for you then god help your gf (or bf)

  • MontyMacaw on 23/06/2022 - 11:34
    +4

    Oh FFS seriously???

  • LFO on 23/06/2022 - 11:49

    Well, wild and domesticated monkeys/chimpanzees/gorillas do this so for our current (de)generation is perfectly normal and accepted.

    Sophisticated eating places offer lemon water and a hand towel to wipe fingers. Eating places for educated humans that is

    For general hygiene, they will eventually discover that soap and lukewarm water does wash fingers a hell of a lot better.
    Given them time, it is a challenging process. Evolution takes time.

  • ColtNoir on 23/06/2022 - 11:54
    +1

    Inflations high right now, I’ll take my free bacteria.

  • ozbjunkie on 23/06/2022 - 17:03

    I lick em so the intelligentsia don't bother me

  • trapper on 23/06/2022 - 19:01

    If there are no napkins around and you accidently got sticky food on your fingers, then what?

    Wipe on your shirt? Licking fingers may be the better option.

    • mapax on 23/06/2022 - 20:20
      +1

      Wipe on your shirt

      Found the uncouth savage, the civilized amongst us wipe our hands on our pants.

      • OzzyOzbourne on 24/06/2022 - 08:50

        Surely you wipe them on the chair you are sat on 😂

        • MontyMacaw on 25/06/2022 - 14:35

          Wherever you wipe the bogies from your nose!

  • s1Lence on 23/06/2022 - 19:08
    +3

    I take it a step further and eat my fingers once a week (giving them enough time to regrow before doing it again)

  • 2025 on 23/06/2022 - 19:27

    Isn’t “widely acceptable” pretty much “normal”?

  • wfh on 23/06/2022 - 19:44
    -2

    Unpopular opinion but I am also on the no finger licking side of the fence.

  • DoctorCalculon on 23/06/2022 - 20:08

    I hereby request anyone who does this to stop and be normal.

    Who died, and made you the finger lickin' gestapo?

    If people want to ingest their own skin cells, and bacteria how does it affect you?

  • Freitag on 23/06/2022 - 20:15
    +2

    Don’t look in the kitchen, chefs putting fingers all over your food.

    And stay away from any fast food, more fingers. Let alone countries like in Africa for example where they eat with their fingers…

    • Mr Haj on 24/06/2022 - 08:26
      +1

      where they eat with their fingers…

      So do we… That's why we lick our fingers. Licking your fingers after eating a meal using cutlery would be weird.

  • iamtheroot on 23/06/2022 - 20:42
    +2

    This is why you need to wash hands properly with soap before eating. I don't see a problem licking your own finger if you follow good hygiene (i.e washing hands properly before eating) . If you trust the utensils licked / put in mouth and shared by many people in restaurants ( you trust it's clean without knowing if it was properly washed and free from bacteria ?) then why can't you trust your own fingers ?

  • Goldenra1n on 23/06/2022 - 20:51
    +2

    I eat, go to the toilet, then lick my fingers.

  • DiscoJango on 23/06/2022 - 20:53

    Op probably eats a banana with fork and knife.

  • IpGem on 23/06/2022 - 21:10
    +1

    In some of the popular cultures licking fingers is believed to be paying a respect to the cook.

  • Dreamcast on 23/06/2022 - 21:20
    +12

    I went to donate blood, but they asked if I lick my fingers. So I refused to answer and left.

    • nobro25 on 24/06/2022 - 08:25

      Atleast you're not pregnant.

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