These days it is in full retreat, having lost several miles of its ice tongue in the past few years.

BBC: Journey into the Alaskan wild

Malkovich strains so hard to deliver dialogue in imprecisely broken English, it's a wonder they didn't have to ice his tongue down after every scene.

CNN: Review: 'Rounders' has nothing up its sleeve

Ice numbs the tongue and melts too fast.

BBC: Why you should never drink whisky on the rocks