# Farters lean left: why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 26, 2006, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farters-lean-left-why/341674 "2006-01-26T07:51:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farters-lean-left-why/341674/21 "2006-01-26T15:34:16Z")
Pavarotti doesn’t sing from a chair. ---
**Author:** ![Dante](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dante/32/9673_2.png) [@Dante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farters-lean-left-why/341674/22 "2006-01-26T15:56:35Z")
Leaning allows you to spread and “loosen up”. If you just sit there and push, you might inadvertently get a turtle. ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farters-lean-left-why/341674/23 "2006-01-26T16:20:25Z")
I lean right. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![yBeayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e274bd/32.png) [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farters-lean-left-why/341674/24 "2006-01-26T16:29:23Z")
I lean right. I’m left-handed. I haven’t accidentally shot liquid since I was a kid. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farters-lean-left-why/341674/25 "2006-01-26T16:36:16Z")
Candians lean left. Terrence and Phillip are Candians. Terrence and Phillip fart. Therefore, Farters lean left. Either that, or, Candians fart. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farters-lean-left-why/341674/26 "2006-01-26T16:37:45Z")
Er, Canadians. Sorry. My bad. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farters-lean-left-why/341674/27 "2006-01-26T16:43:59Z")
I usually lean right – but I’m left-handed. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farters-lean-left-why/341674/28 "2006-01-26T16:47:49Z")
I’m ambi-farterous. ---
**Author:** ![Charger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df788c/32.png) [@Charger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charger)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farters-lean-left-why/341674/29 "2006-01-26T17:03:30Z")
It’s not that most people are right-assed, it’s that their right-nosed. They lean left at launch in hopes to smell their own stink moments later with their dominant nostril. It’s kind of a protective instinct, so that we can blame the dog most effectively. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farters-lean-left-why/341674/30 "2006-01-26T20:02:10Z")
Scratch? Sharts? Turtle? Shot liquid? Ewwww! I had no idea there were so many phrases for that sort of accident. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farters-lean-left-why/341674/31 "2006-01-26T20:08:30Z")
Let’s not forget _dew point._ ---
**Author:** ![Lambo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lambo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lambo)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farters-lean-left-why/341674/32 "2006-01-26T20:31:58Z")
For males, at least, could the location of a wallet make a difference? I no longer carry one (preferring to use a money clip and card case in my front pocket), but when I did, I think I carried it in my right rear pocket. To me, that would make it more natural to lean to the left, rather than leaning on the wallet. Oh, and I lean right (for farting, not politically). ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farters-lean-left-why/341674/33 "2006-01-26T21:04:17Z")
My theory is that most people are right handed and lean to the left when they wipe their ass after they’ve “released the hounds”. So, naturally, they lean to the same side to fart. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farters-lean-left-why/341674/34 "2006-01-26T21:09:37Z")
I’m a left-leaner, right leg lifter. Never thought about this much before! And, of course, women are biologically designed so they don’t. Proof here: [http://www.metacafe.com/watch/59726/battle\_of\_the\_farts/](http://www.metacafe.com/watch/59726/battle_of_the_farts/) ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farters-lean-left-why/341674/35 "2006-01-26T22:04:51Z")
I am left-leaning politically, right-sided handedly, and right-leaning fartically. ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farters-lean-left-why/341674/36 "2006-01-26T22:16:03Z")
I can’t believe there are so many plausible theories as to why we lean left or right. Colon position, dominant sides, ass-wiping habit… I found myself actually nodding my head and thinking, ‘hmmm, that makes sense! yes, I can see that’ and so on. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farters-lean-left-why/341674/37 "2006-01-26T22:22:25Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > Maybe this is why you’re suppossed to get on a horse from the left side, swinging your right leg over gives you a chance to fire off one last shot before getting bounced around on the prarie. I suspect horse-mounting procedures have evolved to accomodate the way various weapons are carried. Re. farting, I just lean straight forward, it makes things much easier 😃 ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farters-lean-left-why/341674/38 "2006-01-26T23:16:47Z")
I too am left handed (huzzah!) and lean to the right, lifting my left cheek, so I can dispense my honey sweet, succulent aroma for all to share and marvel. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![andrewdt85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/71e660/32.png) [@andrewdt85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewdt85)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farters-lean-left-why/341674/39 "2006-01-26T23:30:57Z")
I have no idea if this has anything to do with this topic, but here’s something I read on Wikipedia’s page for ‘Kissing’- > [@](#): > > In order to avoid clashing noses, a couple will often turn their faces to one side or another when kissing, so that their heads are at an angle from one another. Often, to make this more comfortable, one person, sitting upright, will support another, perhaps across their lap and in their arms, thus combining hugging and kissing. The person supporting the other is most likely taking the more active role in kissing the other. Writing in Nature, psychologist Oner Güntürkün observed couples kissing in public places such as airports and parks, and showed that the direction of turning is more frequently to the right than the left by a 2:1 ratio. Güntürkün ascribed this asymmetry to a neonatal right side preference. Neonatal: “A newborn infant is known as a neonate (neonatal, neonatus) after the final stage of gestation throughout the first three months.” So, the reason people always turn their heads to the right when they kiss is because of neonatal orientation. You think farting might be the same way? ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farters-lean-left-why/341674/40 "2006-01-27T00:47:19Z")
Only if you decide to fart while kissing, or kiss while farting. Hey-multitask all you like. I lean right politically, and left fartically. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farters-lean-left-why/341674.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farters-lean-left-why/341674.md?page=3)