When Schwartz skipped past the triple dare and went right to the triple-dog dare in "A Christmas Story," Ralphie explained it as a "slight breach of etiquette." Of course, we all know better than that. It was far more treasonous. By upping the ante in such an inappropriate manner, Flick was left with no choice but to defend his own honor and place his tongue directly on the frozen pole.
It wasn't a smart thing to do, of course. But this was now about bravado. Like it or not, tongue had to meet pole, and nature would be forced to take its course. The horror Miss. Shields would stumble upon minutes later might not be pleasant, but it was necessary.
And when Flick returned to the classroom, he carried a little something extra with him. I'm not referring to the horrendous frostbite that now adorned
