Spitting of small saliva droplets can also happen unintentionally during talking, especially when articulating ejective and implosive consonants.

[citation needed] By the early 1700s, spitting had become seen as something which should be concealed, and by 1859 it had progressed to being described by at least one etiquette guide as "at all times a disgusting habit."

Spittoons became far less common after the influenza epidemic of 1918, and their use has since virtually disappeared, though each justice of the Supreme Court of the United States continues to be provided with a personal one.

Spitting has been attributed to some people[further explanation needed] from Asia-Pacific countries such as Bangladesh,[12] China,[13][14][15] India,[16][17] Indonesia,[18] Myanmar,[19][20][21] Papua New Guinea,[22] Philippines,[23][24][25] South Korea,[26][27] United Arab Emirates,[28][29] and Vietnam.

[35] According to Ross Coomber, a professor of sociology at Plymouth University, spitting is perceived as a cleansing practice for the body by many individuals in China.

[36] However, because of hygiene, transmission of disease and social taboos, this practice has waned and instead a black mark of kohl or kajal is put on the forehead or cheek of the child to ward off the evil eye.

Shopkeepers in the region used to sometimes make a spitting gesture on the cash proceeds from the first sale of the day (called bohni), which is a custom believed to ward-off nazar from the business.

[41] When a suspect in a criminal case is arrested, they will sometimes try to spit at their captors, which often causes a fear of infection by Hepatitis C and other diseases.