|
Sponsored Links
Spitting or expectoration is the act of forcibly ejecting saliva or other substances from the mouth. It is normally considered rude and a social taboo in many parts of the world, though spitting can still be occasionally observed in some places. It is possible to transmit infectious diseases in this way. Spitting upon another person, especially onto the face, is a universal sign of anger, hatred or contempt, for example it is the subject of an urban legend representing the contempt with which Vietnam veterans were treated on their return to the United States. It can represent a "symbolical regurgitation" or an act of contamination. It can also be a device to bring good luck or ward off bad.[1] The term spitting is also used to describe a type of soft rain. Social attitudes towards spitting have changed greatly in Western Europe since the Middle Ages. Then, frequent spitting was part of everyday life, and at all levels of society, it was thought ill-mannered to suck back saliva to avoid spitting. By the early 1700s, spitting had become seen as something which should be concealed, and by 1859 many viewed the spitting on the floor or street as vulgar, especially in mixed company. Spittoons were used openly during the nineteenth century to provide an acceptable outlet for spitters. Spittoons became far less common after the influenza epidemic of 1918, and their use has since virtually disappeared, though each justice of the Supreme Court of the United States continues to be provided with a personal cuspidor[1]
|
Expectorate Subcategories
Expectorate Articles
|
| 
