# (Men) Big Belly In or Out? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 26, 2000, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-big-belly-in-or-out/14152 "2000-02-26T20:37:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2000, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-big-belly-in-or-out/14152/1 "2000-02-26T20:37:00Z")
What determines if a guy puts his big belly inside his pants or outside? You know, if it’s inside, they look pretty round like the host on Family Fued. Other times they put it outside, in that case, a guy has a 32" waist with a 44" gut or belly spilling out. ---
**Author:** ![Babar714](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Babar714](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babar714)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2000, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-big-belly-in-or-out/14152/2 "2000-02-26T20:45:00Z")
I have a slight case of Dunlap’s disease, and I wear my gut out of my pants. That way, when you see a girl and have to suck it in, your pants don’t fall down. That’s usually a good thing. But if your gut’s too big to suck in, I guess it doesn’t matter. ---
**Author:** ![Catrandom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@Catrandom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catrandom)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2000, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-big-belly-in-or-out/14152/3 "2000-02-26T20:47:00Z")
I’m not a man, of course, but if we’re taking a vote: Gentlemen, please tuck it in. Fat men can be quite attractive (Oliver Platt – Yum!) but the belly-over-the-belt is just not a good look. Of course, if you _like_ to look like the corrupt small-town sheriff in a Roger Corman movie, let it all hang out. Catrandom ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2000, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-big-belly-in-or-out/14152/4 "2000-02-26T20:49:00Z")
I know what you mean…Chris Farley’s “Motivational Speaker” was a “out-of-pants” guy and had to stop every other sentance or so to hitch 'em back up over his hips. It’s quite a delimma; out of pants you look pregnant, in pants you look like a weeble-wobble. Women are so much luckier because we have the options of: long, flowing dress or long sweaters and such. Men have a tie that leads the eye down and points RIGHT AT IT! That’s gotta be a drag. * * * “I get the meat and the cheese, but why the bun?” “Yeah, a bun is neither meat nor cheese.” “Word!” ---
**Author:** ![SeaDiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@SeaDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDiver)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2000, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-big-belly-in-or-out/14152/5 "2000-02-26T20:56:00Z")
I’ve wondered if the belly-out option could be an ego thing. The guy can claim he still wears the same size he did in high school. Yes, the pants are the same size, but the extra cargo is carried out in front. ---
**Author:** ![jab1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ee7513/32.png) [@jab1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jab1)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2000, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-big-belly-in-or-out/14152/6 "2000-02-26T20:57:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by voguevixen: > **Men have a tie that leads the eye down and points RIGHT AT IT!** Now you know why I don’t wear a tie. > [@](#): > > That’s gotta be a drag. > \*\* No, wearing a dress would be a drag. Or IN drag. * * * \>\< DARWIN \> \_\_ **L\_\_\_L** ---
**Author:** ![MadPoet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8c91f0/32.png) [@MadPoet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadPoet)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2000, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-big-belly-in-or-out/14152/7 "2000-02-26T21:01:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Men have a tie that leads the eye down and points RIGHT AT IT! Y’know… I always thought of it trying to direct attention somewhere else… * * * [http://www.madpoet.com](http://www.madpoet.com) Clerks - Just because they serve you doesn’t mean they like you. ---
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2000, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-big-belly-in-or-out/14152/8 "2000-02-26T21:01:00Z")
SeaDiver: Ding! You get the prize for the closest to correct answer! That’s what my husband says, anyway. He keeps his beltline under his belly. Yeah, he’s got one, that he blames on me (that “married & happy” syndrome, ya know). * * * Changing my sig, because Wally said to, and I really like Wally, and I’ll do anything he says, anytime he says to. ---
**Author:** ![pluto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f08c70/32.png) [@pluto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pluto)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2000, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-big-belly-in-or-out/14152/9 "2000-02-26T21:07:00Z")
I understand why I have to buy pants with a bigger waist but I can’t figure out why the inseam keeps getting smaller. Am I getting shorter? * * * If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. ---
**Author:** ![ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryan)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2000, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-big-belly-in-or-out/14152/10 "2000-02-27T10:35:00Z")
## In, absolutely. Hey, I’m overweight. I’m comfortable with it. So I wear my pants so my ass isn’t hanging out. I have NO desire to look like a red-neck sherriff, nor do I feel the need to cram my admittedly large ass into small jeans for the sole purpose of self-deception. “The universe doesn’t give first warnings or second chances” ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2000, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-big-belly-in-or-out/14152/11 "2000-02-27T12:05:00Z")
I’m skinny as a rake. I am not even close to having this problem. If my pants were to ever be at risk of falling down, it’d be due to lack of any kind of fat on my frame whatsoever. Don’t mind me, I’m just showing off. 😉 * * * [The Legend Of PigeonMan](http://www.hotkey.net.au/~guanolad/pigeonman/) - **Shadow of the Pigeon** - Weirdo of the Night ---
**Author:** ![Poto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ab992/32.png) [@Poto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poto)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2000, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-big-belly-in-or-out/14152/12 "2000-02-27T13:09:00Z")
Suspenders. But then you will need a sportscoat to cover the suspenders. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2000, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-big-belly-in-or-out/14152/13 "2000-02-27T16:55:00Z")
I like the way suspenders look these days. Sort of classy for some reason. From what I see the guys who where pants down low are usually baseball players or construction workers. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2000, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-big-belly-in-or-out/14152/14 "2000-02-28T21:27:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by handy: > \*\* > From what I see the guys who where pants down low are usually baseball players or construction workers.\*\* I’ve never seen a baseball player wearing his pants low enough for me, I did espy Ben Grieve sneaking into the dugout in one of those meshy shirts, though. (Caught a glimpse of nipple and everything, whoo-hoo!) 😉 * * * We struck down evil with the mighty sword of “teamwork” and the hammer of “not bickering.” ---
**Author:** ![Vestal\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5e9695/32.png) [@Vestal\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vestal_Blue)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2000, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-big-belly-in-or-out/14152/15 "2000-03-01T06:29:00Z")
\< Sarcasm ON \> “Welll, y’know little filly, when ya got a tool like mine, ya gotta keep shed over it!” (Spits and hitches pants back into place) \< Sarcasm OFF \> I actually heard some ding-dong say that once! :rolleyes: * * * VB Cowabunga Buffalo Bob! ---
**Author:** ![Andy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aeb1de/32.png) [@Andy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2000, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-big-belly-in-or-out/14152/16 "2000-02-29T19:06:00Z")
I can’t even begin to describe the thought of portly gentlemen wearing suspenders. Yack. ---
**Author:** ![Demo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demo/32/8472_2.png) [@Demo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demo)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2000, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-big-belly-in-or-out/14152/17 "2000-02-29T19:13:00Z")
> [@](#): > > I understand why I have to buy pants with a bigger waist but I can’t figure out why the inseam keeps getting smaller. Am I getting shorter? I don’t understand this at all. I am the same height as I’ve been for years! Is it possible that my legs shrunk and my torso grew(vertically, that is)? WTF? * * * **What I tell you three times is true.** _The Hunting of the Snark._ Lewis Carroll