We’ve all heard the warning—“Don’t stick your tongue on frozen metal!” But let’s be honest… have you ever been tempted to test it out?
Well, you’re not alone! Over the years, plenty of unfortunate souls have learned the hard way that metal and tongues do not mix. And today, we’re diving into some real historical newspaper reports of people who just couldn’t resist—and paid the price!
So, let’s take a look at some of the most shocking, hilarious, and painful encounters with frozen metal. Trust me, you’ll think twice before testing this out yourself!
Trust Dad On This One
In 1903, a ninth grader wrote in to her local newspaper with the following story:
“I had been listening to my father tell how he had once tried to lick the frost off an ax and how his tongue had stuck to it. I listened very attentively, but could not see why his tongue should stick. I thought a long time about it, and the longer I thought the more convinced I became that his tongue should not have stuck to that ax. I decided to see about it. So I went out to the woodshed and the first thing that met my eyes was a hatchet with a thick coat of frost, sticking in a piece of wood. How white and inviting it looked! I picked it up and put my tongue to it and then tried to pull it off again, when lo and behold! My tongue stuck to that hatchet and that hatchet stuck to my tongue, and the harder I pulled the harder they both stuck. I suppose I should not have been surprised, but I was. It was only after a great deal of pain and effort that I finally pulled the hatchet off… and the hatchet kept a good deal of my tongue.
“It was some time before I went into the sitting-room again, and when I did, I crept around behind the stove so they would not notice me. After a while mother looked up and seeing me looking rather sorrowful, she said:
“‘What’s the matter? Been licking the ax?’
“No, ma’am,’ I replied, blinking back the tears which would come when I tried to use my tongue. ‘I’ve been licking the hatchet.'”
The Minneapolis Journal. Minneapolis, Minn., 10 Oct. 1903.
Beautifully Frosted Pipe
A nice pipe covered with beautiful frosting like a Christmas cake attracted the attention of little Frank, who was with his mother in the company store in Red Bank, NJ.
“He slipped away, climbed a stair, tried to lick the frosting from the pipe, and found his tongue was stuck. The pipe runs from the refrigerator to the ice box, and he could not be released from the frozen pipe until much hot water had been used.”
The Seattle Star. Seattle, Wash., 07 Sept. 1911.
Freezer Grips Boy’s Tongue
A similar incident happened in 1947 when a Cleveland, Ohio boy, age 4, thought the valve on a deep-freeze cabinet was a drinking fountain. When he tried to get the drink from the valve, his tongue stuck tight to the frozen metal. His mother panicked and tried to pull the boy off the valve. She then resorted to pulling at the boy’s tongue to dislodge him, leaving a chunk of skin behind, stuck to the frozen metal.
The Key West Citizen. Key West, Fla., 30 Oct. 1947.
Now He Knows
In 1937, it was reported that a teenage boy in Fairbanks, Alaska thought that the whole tongue sticking to frozen metal was just an old wives tale, but the joke was on him. Some road equipment was outside him home, and he decided that then was the perfect time to test his tongue on iron.
Needless to say, his tongue stuck fast. The newspaper report goes on to say that:
“He was forced to stand there for some time before he was found. He could not shout, but in trying to do so his tongue was badly bitten and blood was running from his mouth. How cloths were applied to the iron and in a few minutes the heat released the boy’s tongue.”
The Iron Bridge
The report goes on to say that:
“This is the second case known, as Vic Rivers, now senator-elect, stuck his tongue to an iron bridge in Dawson many years ago and was compelled to remain until the bridge was heated before he was released.”
The Nome Daily Nugget. Nome, Alaska, 16 Jan. 1937.
