# Toilet paper over or under? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 1, 2010, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-paper-over-or-under/537959 "2010-05-01T13:15:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-paper-over-or-under/537959/1 "2010-05-01T13:15:58Z")
Personally I think the “under” people are sick freaks.😛 ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-paper-over-or-under/537959/2 "2010-05-01T13:18:45Z")
Mods I meant to put this in IMHO. whoops!:smack: ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-paper-over-or-under/537959/3 "2010-05-01T13:22:08Z")
Over, simply because I don’t want the hanging end to touch the wall where it might pick up condensation after someone takes a shower. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-paper-over-or-under/537959/4 "2010-05-01T13:27:21Z")
Curious as to whether there is a male/female split on this question. Anecdotally, it seems that men prefer it over, and women prefer it under. No idea if this is true, or, if it is, why. Actually men generally prefer that it be somewhere within arms’ reach. It really doesn’t have to be on the roller at all. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-paper-over-or-under/537959/5 "2010-05-01T14:11:01Z")
This is a silly game. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-paper-over-or-under/537959/6 "2010-05-01T14:25:25Z")
I’m the only one to vote “don’t care” so far? I had no idea anyone really cared. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-paper-over-or-under/537959/7 "2010-05-01T14:29:52Z")
If it’s over, the cat thinks it should be unrolled. If it’s under, this doesn’t happen. Under for us. I would have posted this into the dumb pet thread, but it reeks of cute. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-paper-over-or-under/537959/8 "2010-05-01T14:39:30Z")
[Under-rolling is no defense](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbRljNwZ7yU&NR=1) ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-paper-over-or-under/537959/9 "2010-05-01T14:44:47Z")
My cat didn’t get the memo. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-paper-over-or-under/537959/10 "2010-05-01T15:04:44Z")
Over, but I never tell anyone I’m living with that, unless they say “over” first. When it comes to little nits like this, it’s best to use reverse psychology and say “under” or “don’t care” virtually guaranteeing it’ll be over thereafter. I’ve never had a cat show any interest in the roll, so that’s not an issue. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-paper-over-or-under/537959/11 "2010-05-01T17:42:44Z")
Sending this to IMHO from Game Room **Ellen Cherry Game Room Moderator** ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-paper-over-or-under/537959/12 "2010-05-01T17:52:21Z")
I said over, but really it’s “resting on the towel rack six feet in the air because I have a particularly tenacious cat.” I didn’t see that option, so “over” it is. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-paper-over-or-under/537959/13 "2010-05-01T18:08:00Z")
I voted over. None of my cats care about unrolling it, but if it’s just on the back of the toilet one of them will grab it and run away with it. So, it has to be in the holder whether it’s over or under anyway, and I still find teeth marks. ---
**Author:** ![maisoui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@maisoui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maisoui)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-paper-over-or-under/537959/14 "2010-05-01T18:17:20Z")
In our house we like over (people, the patterns on toilet paper are printed or quilted so that flowers grow “up” when the roll is placed “over”), but it was under when the kids were small. Like the kittens above, they liked to unroll it… However, in our master bathroom it is under because the holder is on the opposite wall and closer to the toilet, so it rolls funnily and is hard to tear off if it is over. ---
**Author:** ![Nefarious\_Chipmunk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nefarious_chipmunk/32/1045_2.png) [@Nefarious\_Chipmunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nefarious_Chipmunk)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-paper-over-or-under/537959/15 "2010-05-01T19:00:21Z")
I am over as well, mostly because I don’t like to turn the light on at night when I use the bathroom and it is easier to find the end of the toilet paper if it is over. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-paper-over-or-under/537959/16 "2010-05-01T19:21:59Z")
Over, it’s just so much neater. My wife prefers under, so I think **BrotherCadfael** is onto something. (Fortunately, I have managed to impose my will in this one small area of the household. Small victories…) ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-paper-over-or-under/537959/17 "2010-05-01T19:32:05Z")
Under because it’s easier to spin the roll. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-paper-over-or-under/537959/18 "2010-05-01T20:19:46Z")
Shit’s about to get real in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-paper-over-or-under/537959/19 "2010-05-01T20:36:23Z")
I guess I’m just too relaxed to care greatly about it so I take a pragmatic view. _Whoever changes_ the roll gets to decide how it gets mounted. Anyone with a problem with that can change it the way they think it needs to go.\*\* ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-paper-over-or-under/537959/20 "2010-05-01T22:09:20Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > Curious as to whether there is a male/female split on this question. Anecdotally, it seems that men prefer it over, and women prefer it under. No idea if this is true, or, if it is, why. There isn’t. The last time we did this poll, just a couple of months ago, more than 85% of people prefered it over, so it can’t be gender dependent. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-paper-over-or-under/537959.md?page=2)