Gleeking

How it works

Two pairs of salivary glands sit under the tongue. The submandibular glands lie under the jaw and drain through a pair of ducts, called Wharton’s ducts, that open on two small bumps just behind the lower front teeth³. The sublingual glands lie in the floor of the mouth and drain nearby².

Saliva collects in the ducts. Pressing the tongue up and forward is thought to squeeze the floor of the mouth. Saliva from the submandibular gland then comes out under the tongue as a jet¹.

It can happen on purpose or by accident, often during a yawn¹. Sour food helps, because it makes the glands fill fast.

How common it is

No survey has measured how many people can gleek, so no reliable share can be given. Probably fewer people can do it on command than by accident. Deliberate gleeking needs full glands and the right tongue position at the same time.

Try it

Do this away from other people and their food.

1. Suck on a sour sweet or a slice of lemon for a minute. Do not swallow all the saliva.
2. Press the tip of your tongue against the back of your top front teeth.
3. Push the flat of your tongue up hard against the roof of your mouth.
4. At the same time, push your lower jaw forward and open your mouth a little.
5. Look for a fine spray from under the tongue. Yawning while doing steps 2 to 4 helps some people.

It usually takes practice.

Is it a problem?

No. Gleeking is a release of saliva from the ducts under the tongue³. It is not known to be a sign of a gland problem. It is not linked to producing too much or too little saliva.

Mention it to a doctor only if the area under the tongue is painful or swollen before the jet happens, or if a duct opening looks red or blocked. That can point to a stuck stone in the duct, which is a separate and different problem.

History and culture

The word gleek appears in Shakespeare, but there it means to joke or to mock, not to spit⁴. The modern meaning is recent⁴.