In short: the liquid on the tongue freezes between the skin and the cold metal.

In order for this to happen, the material you touch with your tongue should have high thermal conductivity. If you try to touch very cold plastic or rubber with your tongue, it won’t stick. These materials have low thermal conductivity, unlike metal.

The materials with high thermal conductivity transmit heat from the material with a high temperature to the material with a low temperature. In this case, from the tongue to the metal. In order for the liquid to freeze on the tongue, the heat from it should be removed and the temperature should be lowered to less than 32°F. The tongue is very warm and the body is constantly warming it through the blood circulating around the body. The material the tongue touches should have the thermal conductivity to be quick enough to cool it down faster than the blood warms it. Metal is an example of such material. The colder it is, the faster the tongue will stick.

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