Is getting your tongue stuck to a frozen pole in winter a myth? Not exactly

WASHINGTON — As winter temperatures plunge across parts of the U.S. and Canada, and states are blanketed in snow, many children and families are heading out to play in the winter weather. But warnings about getting stuck to frozen flagpoles or playground equipment aren’t just urban legends. 

Medical experts and scientists say your tongue can absolutely get stuck to cold metal, especially when temperatures drop to freezing or below.

Reports documented by the Old Farmer’s Almanac describe children in Canada getting stuck to playground equipment during extreme cold snaps, sometimes requiring emergency help to thaw them free. 

If you’re wondering how it happens, it has to do with the fact that your tongue is covered in moisture. When it touches metal that’s at or below freezing, that moisture begins to freeze almost instantly.

Metal conducts heat extremely well, pulling heat away up to 400 times faster than your body can replace it. As the metal rapidly absorbs heat from your tongue, the moisture freezes inside tiny surface pores on both your tongue and the metal, bonding them together.

That’s why people often feel “instantly stuck.”

So, the memorable scene in “A Christmas Story” when Flick gets his tongue stuck on a frozen flagpole after a “Triple Dog Dare,” isn’t just a movie myth.  

While you may be tempted to immediately try to pull away, doctors strongly warn against it. Pulling hard can tear the skin of your tongue, causing bleeding and serious injury. In some cases, people have ripped off pieces of tissue trying to free themselves.

Emergency responders and health officials from Alberta Health and Kaiser Permanente recommend staying calm and never pulling to prevent a medical emergency.

Instead, you should have someone pour warm (not hot) water over the metal and the area where your tongue is stuck or try breathing warm air onto the area. If those methods don’t work, call 911.

If your tongue bleeds heavily, won’t stop bleeding, or a piece of tissue tears, seek emergency care immediately. Doctors advise calling a physician even after minor injuries to ensure proper healing. Small tears that stop bleeding may not require emergency treatment, but should still be monitored.