# 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:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farters-lean-left-why/341674/41 "2006-01-27T01:16:10Z")
> [@Mtgman](#): > > I lean right. > > Enjoy, > Steven _snif snif_ I didn’t find that enjoyable _at all_. ---
**Author:** ![elfbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b782af/32.png) [@elfbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfbabe)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farters-lean-left-why/341674/42 "2006-01-27T02:27:13Z")
> [@yoyodyne](#): > > It is due to the fact that the [colon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmoid_colon) descends on the left side of the body, curving to the center at the bottom of the abdomen, and then has a fairly tight bend where it meets the rectum. Leaning to the left puts that bend at the high point of the loop, allowing the gas to escape into the rectum and any solids to be retained by gravity in the colon. Leaning right puts the curved (sigmoid) portion of the colon as the high point, allowing the gas to stay in the colon and solids to be gravity assisted to the rectum, leading to possible sharts. Hey everyone! Look at this, **yoyodyne** may actually have given the correct answer! … we can’t allow that in MPSIMS! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farters-lean-left-why/341674/43 "2006-01-27T02:47:01Z")
Farting is one of the few things where I tend to lean to the Right. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farters-lean-left-why/341674/44 "2006-01-27T04:01:35Z")
> [@elfbabe](#): > > Hey everyone! > Look at this, **yoyodyne** may actually have given the correct answer! > … we can’t allow that in MPSIMS! :mad: um, sorry? :smack: Obviously it doesn’t apply to everyone, but I suspect it does result in an overall tendency to lean left, particularly when diarrhea is involved. The difference would certainly be noticed when receiving an enema. There’s probably a graduate thesis in there somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![elfbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b782af/32.png) [@elfbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfbabe)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farters-lean-left-why/341674/45 "2006-01-27T05:23:41Z")
> [@yoyodyne](#): > > um, sorry? :smack: Joke, joke! Real answers are good! Don’t stop! Was just teasing because everyone else is giving silly answers. ---
**Author:** ![Kitchen\_Wench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f08c70/32.png) [@Kitchen\_Wench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kitchen_Wench)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farters-lean-left-why/341674/46 "2006-01-27T05:55:15Z")
I’m right handed. I lean left while sitting to fart. And-- ::looks around nervously:: I pull my left butt cheek to fart while standing. But only in the privacy of my own home. Honest. In public, I back up against my hubby’s leg to fart. You know, to muffle the sound, of course. 😛 Girls can be gross too. ---
**Author:** ![andrewdt85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/71e660/32.png) [@andrewdt85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewdt85)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farters-lean-left-why/341674/47 "2006-01-27T07:45:26Z")
> [@elfbabe](#): > > Joke, joke! Real answers are good! Don’t stop! Was just teasing because everyone else is giving silly answers. :mad: What about mine?!! Okay, so it’s probably way off, but silly??!!! ---
**Author:** ![andrewdt85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/71e660/32.png) [@andrewdt85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewdt85)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farters-lean-left-why/341674/48 "2006-01-27T07:47:22Z")
Just for that, I :_lifts up right butt cheek_: fart in your general direction. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farters-lean-left-why/341674.md?page=2)