The Spoon Licking Gene

This keeps coming up for me almost every day, the spoon-licking gene. I am convinced that once the entire genetic code has been completely mapped, there will be a gene responsible for spoon licking, and almost everything else.

My husband is a big time spoon licker and a finisher. Whenever he clears the table after dinner and is putting away the leftovers, he removes the spoon from the bowl and licks it before placing it in the dishwasher. I, on the other hand, only lick spoons containing cookie dough, kind of a girl thing.

He is also a finisher. For some reason this drives me crazy. If there is a little bit left of something in the cupboard, he will finish it. If there is only a little bit left of something, I consider it already finished, and move on. He also, unlike me, is a “clean plater.” I guess opposites do attract.

Last week when my brother-in-law was visiting, I decided to conduct more of my informal research. I asked him “Are you a spoon licker?” He replied “of course, what else would you do?” Okay, that wasn’t very scientific, but they are brothers and I concluded that the gene is definitely apparent and expressed in my husband’s family tree.

Nature versus nurture, environment versus heredity, habit, genetic determination, you be the judge. But until someone proves me wrong, I’m going to believe in the spoon licking gene.