The five-second rule is a popular North American old wives' tale. The rule states that foods—particularly sweet foods like cookies—that have fallen to the ground will not contract any germs until five seconds have passed. The rule provides a convenient rationale for eating food off the floor, and is usually invoked when a group of people are present (as a polite fiction). Thus, for example, a person might drop a jelly bean, pick it up quickly, tell his friends "it's within five seconds" and then eat the candy. An old wives tale is a wisdom much like an urban legend, supposedly passed down by old wives to a younger generation. ... A plate of chocolate chip cookies A chocolate chip cookie A fortune cookie In the United States and Canada, a cookie (sometimes spelled cooky) is a small, flat baked cake (Commonwealth English biscuit). ... Germ is an informal term for a disease-causing organism, particularly bacteria (as in germ warfare). ... A polite fiction refers to a social scenario where all participants are aware of a truth, but to avoid conflict or embarrassment, all pretend to believe in some alternate version of events. ... Jelly beans or jelly eggs are a type of confectionery that comes in many different (primarily fruit) flavors. ...

It is usually safe to eat food from a relatively clean floor. However, the notion that germs from the floor will not reach food for at least five seconds is false.

The five-second rule is seldom invoked in the case of sticky foods, such as ice cream, to which dirt visibly clings. The origin of the five-second rule is unknown.

No data exists for the use of the five-second rule in restaurant kitchens; nonetheless, the practice is thought to enjoy a frequent use by cooks in a hurry. Although the idea of the five-second rule being used in fine dining establishments as an official policy is absurd, its use is not limited to restaurants of lower standards.

Variations

The five second rule is sometimes called the three-second rule, 10-second rule, or the 15-second rule, to some extent depending on the quality of the food involved or the intoxication level of the individual quoting the rule. For example, in American college dormitories the ten-second rule is often quoted as the "drunk version" of the five-second rule. In addition, there is the 17-minute rule, a humourous observation that the transferrence of dirt and germs takes place regardless of how short a time the food is in contact with the ground. The term college (Latin collegium) is most often used today to denote an educational institution. ... A typical American college dorm room A dormitory or dorm is a place to sleep. ...

It is also widely believed that, in the home, the five-second rule can be extended to at most 15 seconds. In public places and restaurants, however, the amount of time is generally shortened.

In Brazil, people use to say o que não mata, engorda ("if it doesn't kill, it makes you fat") before eating something that has fallen on the floor. Obviously, the evocation doesn't mean much, because spoiled food can both "kill you" (do you harm) and make you fat. The Chilean version of this rule is chancho limpio no engorda ("A clean pig does not get fat"). Species Sus barbatus Sus bucculentus Sus cebifrons Sus celebensis Sus domesticus Sus heureni Sus philippensis Sus salvanius Sus scrofa Sus timoriensis Sus verrucosus Pigs are ungulates native to Eurasia collectively grouped under the genus Sus within the Suidae family. ...

Related rules

There is a related justification for eating just-fallen food, where the individual will "kiss it up to God", that is, the item is literally kissed just before being eaten. Generally, this only "works" if done in the same five to fifteen second time frame.

Other occasions which call on similar rules include:

• A conversation cannot be simply continued without an explanation of what is being discussed if the conversation ended more than five seconds ago.
• Once a seat has been vacated for five minutes, the five minute rule is said to be in effect and anybody may take that seat. This custom is known as "fives"; in some traditions, people must call out the word "fives" when getting up in order to reserve their seat for five minutes.
• Another "five minute rule" states that if a teacher is more than five minutes late to a lesson, it is acceptable for the students to leave. American junior high and high school students sometimes genuinely believe in this rule, but it is generally not accepted by teachers or school administrators, although some schools do have official policies that allow students to leave without penalty if an instructor is sufficiently late. The concept may have originated on the television show Saved by the Bell.
  • One variant used by college students says students must add five minutes per degree of the professor. For example, one waits fifteen minutes for a professor who has a Ph.D.. Again, this is rarely an actual policy; however, since penalties for missing a class are typically much less severe in college, students may follow the rule anyway.
    • The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee has an actual "fifteen minute rule," although it imposes several additional conditions. Sewanee's undergraduate honor society is called the "Order of Gownsmen," and members earn the right to wear an academic gown to classes. If any instructor is over fifteen minutes late for a class, any Gownsman enrolled in the class who has their gown may place it over the instructor's desk, officially canceling the class. In practice, of course, the rule is rarely invoked.

Middle school and junior high school cover a period of education that straddles primary education and secondary education and serve as a bridge between them. ... The Japanese word for a high school is kōtōgakkō (高等学校; literally high school), or kōkō (高校) in short. ... Students attending a lecture at the Helsinki University of Technology Etymologically derived through Middle English from the Latin second-type conjugation verb stŭdērĕ, which means to direct ones zeal at; hence a student is one who directs zeal at a subject. ... Saved by the Bell was a popular teen sitcom which ran from 1989 to 1993 and built a large, loyal fanbase. ... The term college (Latin collegium) is most often used today to denote an educational institution. ... This article is about academic degrees. ... A professor is a senior teacher, lecturer and researcher, usually in a college or university. ... Doctor of Philosophy (Ph. ... The University of the South The University of the South is located in Sewanee, Tennessee, and is a private, coeducational liberal arts college. ... Sewanee is a census-designated place located in Franklin County, Tennessee. ... Full dress bachelors gown, with hood and cap The traditional BA gown and hood from Cambridge University, which formed the basis of academic dress at many other English-speaking Universities The University Officers in charge of the degree ceremony at Cambridge An alternative coloured gown Academic dress or academical...

Research

A study on the five-second rule was performed by Jillian Clarke, a high school senior, during a seven-week internship at the University of Illinois in 2003. Clarke and a doctoral candidate named Meredith Agle took swab samples from various floors around campus. They then looked at the samples under a microscope and discovered that they did not contain significant amounts of bacteria. The conclusion was that in most cases, dry floors would be safe to eat from. The University of Illinois is the set of three public universities in Illinois. ... 2003(MMIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

However, Clarke also wanted to test the five-second hypothesis in cases where the floor was known to be contaminated. She therefore spread E. Coli on both rough and smooth floor tiles in a laboratory, placed pieces of gummi bears and cookies on the tiles for various amounts of time, and then examined the foods under the microscope. All the foods had a significant amount of bacteria after less than five seconds. Her findings therefore disprove the five-second rule.

In the course of her research, Clarke also conducted a survey to sample opinion on the five-second rule. She found that seventy percent of women and fifty-six percent of men were familiar with the five-second rule, and most utilized the rule in their decisions to eat food that had fallen on the floor. She also found that women were more likely than men to use the rule, and that cookies and candy were more likely to be picked up than broccoli or cauliflower. A shelf filled with candies Candy is a term for a type of confectionery prepared by dissolving sugar in water or milk and boiling it until it starts to caramelize. ... Cultivar Group Brassica oleracea Italica Group Broccoli is a plant of the Cabbage family, Brassicaceae (formerly Cruciferae). ... Cultivar Group Brassica oleracea Botrytis Group Cauliflower is a variety (Botrytis Group) of Brassica oleracea in the family Brassicaceae. ...

Clarke's work won an Ig Nobel Prize for Public Health in 2004. The Ig Nobel Prizes are a parody of the Nobel Prizes and are given each year in early fall — a week or two before the recipients of the genuine Nobel Prizes are announced — for ten achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think. ... 2004(MMIV) is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

• "2004 Winners of the Ig Nobel Prize". The Ig Nobel Web Page. URL accessed on April 7, 2005.

April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... Jump to: navigation, search 2005 (Roman: MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Article on experiment conducted by Jillian Clarke and Meredith Agle
• Another article on Clarke experiment