Have you ever heard of the superstition "Don't Pee on the Worm"?

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Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2018/08/29/have-you-ever-heard-of-the-sup.html

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I’ve heard of the Candiru, which is a fish rather than a worm reputed to follow urine streams.

I think in my youth the argument from reciprocity would have sufficed: “You wouldn’t want to be drowned in wee, would you?”

ps: Uncanny Japan is great

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It’s worth mentioning, Candiru can’t travel up urine streams.

People do occasionally get a candiru stuck in them because they are submerged in the river over their waist. (And maybe urinating then)

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That’s wild. I wonder how many people would have had to have peed on those particular worms for it to become a cultural meme. Obviously if one dude does it he’s either going to tell all of his to do it or not depending on how much of an ass he is, but how many times does this need to happen before it becomes part of the culture?

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Isn’t that the myth though? Don’t pee while swimming in candiru infested waters?

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Some people pay big money for swelling in those parts.

Could we get them to use worms rather than parts from nearly extinct animals?

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It’s more “don’t pee into candiru infested waters”

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That’s just silly.

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“Some research was done and it turns out there is a kind of worm that when frightened expels some low grade poison that can travel up a urine stream to reach the offending genitalia”

I don’t think that’s how physics works.

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Here’s a thought. Boy has discovered the joy of salting slugs (really, it’s neat! you should try it sometime) and thinks peeing on worm would work as spectacularly as that. It doesn’t, of course, but boy is discovered peeing in public and reprimanded with an idiotic reason for not doing that, which possibly first turns into a joke before turning into an urban legend. It’s the best I can come up with.

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It’s definitely not established science like that stepping on a crack will break your mamma’s back.

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Surely this is simply the plot to Leprechaun 4: in Space?

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Here the word “some” is used to mean “no research. none at all. we made this up and you are a fool for believing it”

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You can get arrested for that.

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It started off as “Don’t pee on the electric eels” but was shortened for convenience sake.

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The quickest chemical reaction I think I have seen (and/or can recall) is the iodine clock reaction but I wonder if there might be faster ones that could beat the flow of water under gravity?

As far as Brownian motion and dispersal of particulates, this chemistry.stackexchange answer seems to suggest we can pee on any worm we like with impunity.

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But some research was done!

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In this case it’s not “research”, it’s “pee-search”

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I recall an episode of Mahoujin Guru Guru / Magical Circle Guru Guru. Charming series, tragically obscure.

Prince Ron Ron of Jaba kingdom violated the kingdom’s rule that you must not stand in front of the guardian statue Pura Pura and tell it “Take care of your health” while boxing with your left hand, picking your nose with your right hand, and having a loaf of bread wedged up your rear. Nike has to be prevented from doing this three separate times.

TVTropes calls this Schmuck Bait, though I wouldn’t say “your child will be compelled to urinate on a worm if unrestrained” falls in that category.

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Have you ever heard of the superstition “Don’t Pee on the Worm”?

this_guy

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