# Gross matter, but serious question.... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 20, 2003, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-matter-but-serious-question/202807 "2003-09-20T15:53:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![joemill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9a28c/32.png) [@joemill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joemill)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-matter-but-serious-question/202807/1 "2003-09-20T15:53:32Z")
Is there a difference between the large colon of males and females. A few friends of mine were talking about nonsense, and we all concluded that it takes a majority of males longer to do a number 2 than it does females. My wife says that she “just does it and gets it over with.” While I usually have to have something to read to pass the time while I’m attending to the matter. Is it that the male colon works slower or what? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-matter-but-serious-question/202807/2 "2003-09-20T16:32:58Z")
Just my WAG, but I would bet women eat more fruits and vegetables than men. Cheeseburgers and pizza make for a cranky colon that is much slower to evacuate than one filled with a diet rich in natural fibre. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-matter-but-serious-question/202807/3 "2003-09-20T16:35:53Z")
I forget exactly what site it was on, some kind of “retail hell experiences” by retail worker proles, but the stories about cleaning the store bathrooms and the sheer size and quantity some of the presents _ladies_ had delivered for disposal were shocking and completely overwhelmed the toilets capacity for flushing, so I don’t think it’s safe to assume that all female colons are smaller. ---
**Author:** ![Rashak\_Mani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rashak\_Mani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rashak_Mani)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-matter-but-serious-question/202807/4 "2003-09-20T16:36:39Z")
hhmm… interesting. My view is that I like reading while at it. Many of my male friends have similar bad habits too. Female friends dont usually. 🙂 ``` When I am in a hurry thou its pretty fast actually... really depends on how full of shit you are... (pun !) ``` ---
**Author:** ![kip70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f9b8f/32.png) [@kip70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kip70)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-matter-but-serious-question/202807/5 "2003-09-21T09:27:01Z")
Hasn’t anyone any factual information about this? ---
**Author:** ![festiva76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e8cbc/32.png) [@festiva76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/festiva76)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-matter-but-serious-question/202807/6 "2003-09-21T14:35:08Z")
Am I the only male out there who only sits on the crapper when I need to? I have never sat on the commode for longer than three or four minutes, and have often wondered why my father always took thirty minutes or more. Who has time for that? Why not just wait until you feel the urge, and then take a seat? ---
**Author:** ![critter42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@critter42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/critter42)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-matter-but-serious-question/202807/7 "2003-09-21T17:05:50Z")
um, **festiva76** , it’s entirely possible that going No. 2 was NOT why he was on the crapper for 30 or 40 minutes…there are other reasons why males spend long periods of time in the bathroom… ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-matter-but-serious-question/202807/8 "2003-09-21T18:36:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by festiva76 \* > **have often wondered why my father always took thirty minutes or more.** Hmmmmm, it’s my WAG that you don’t have a lot of siblings. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-matter-but-serious-question/202807/9 "2003-09-22T01:14:40Z")
I’m in and out myself. The only times I spend any amount of time is when is doesn’t want to come out. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-matter-but-serious-question/202807/10 "2003-09-22T01:24:57Z")
I’m in and out myself. The only times I spend any amount of time is when is doesn’t want to come out.