# Where did the phrase "anal retentive" come from? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 30, 2003, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-phrase-anal-retentive-come-from/151522 "2003-01-30T03:21:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DaveRaver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daveraver/32/1078_2.png) [@DaveRaver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveRaver)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-phrase-anal-retentive-come-from/151522/1 "2003-01-30T03:21:28Z")
Where did the phrase “anal retentive” come from? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-phrase-anal-retentive-come-from/151522/2 "2003-01-30T03:22:52Z")
Off the top of my head, I believe it has Freudian roots. Happy ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-phrase-anal-retentive-come-from/151522/3 "2003-01-30T03:24:52Z")
The Master speaks: [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a940211.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a940211.html) ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-phrase-anal-retentive-come-from/151522/4 "2003-01-30T03:28:26Z")
Jeeze, I hit submit too fast. From what I recall from Adolescent psychology, children have four stages of development: oral, anal, something I forget, and genital. Rumor has it that if a kid gets too much anal stimulation (not in an abusive way, but rather a overly-clean parent way), they become overly uptight, or anal retentive. I actually don’t remember if this is from Freud or not, now that I think about it more. I may be way off base and totally remembering things wrong, and I’m sure more knowledgable Dopers will come along and clean up my mess. Happy ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-phrase-anal-retentive-come-from/151522/5 "2003-01-30T03:56:14Z")
Yes, it is Freudian, but! The REAL question is how did this phrase mutate to its misused meaning of today? I believe SNL is to blame for running a funny segment on the “anal retentive chef”. Actually, they meant the obsessive chef…which is NOT the same. Yet, I WAG, it just sounds funnier. (Perhaps this is the root of the misunderstanding of the incorrect term for multiple personalities, too?) Anal retentive people, Freud would claim, we would call “pack rats”, as one example. He would claim these people never developed to pass through Freud’s “anal stage” with success. - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-phrase-anal-retentive-come-from/151522/6 "2003-01-30T03:58:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Happy Lendervedder \* > \*\*Jeeze, I hit submit too fast. > > From what I recall from Adolescent psychology, children have four stages of development: oral, anal, something I forget, and genital…\*\* The phalic stage (not genital) is the last of **three** stages of development per Freud’s theories. - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![FranticMad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c68b51/32.png) [@FranticMad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FranticMad)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-phrase-anal-retentive-come-from/151522/7 "2003-01-30T04:07:02Z")
Yes, it comes from Freud’s theories of development. My advice is to ignore it, unless you’re interested in history. But, to be truthful, I think Freud was really strange, and I’m speaking as someone who actually read his stuff. I don’t remember why I read it. Oh yeah, it was part of a course I took. Anyway, Freud did many good things, but his theory of development wasn’t one of them. I mean, why does “kewl” = “cool” = “good”, or “bling” = whatever. It’s just a phrase that has melted and morphed into our language. ---
**Author:** ![Shemem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@Shemem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shemem)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-phrase-anal-retentive-come-from/151522/8 "2003-01-30T04:09:56Z")
And here I always thought it was an academic way of saying someone was full of crap. ---
**Author:** ![tmwster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/57b2e6/32.png) [@tmwster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tmwster)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-phrase-anal-retentive-come-from/151522/9 "2003-01-30T04:10:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mjollnir \* > \*\*The Master speaks: > [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a940211.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a940211.html) \*\* Well, how 'bout that! My ignorance on the subject has been stamped out. I always just assumed it was a simple reference to sphincter tone, another version of “uptight.” As in, “sorry I acted that way, but (situation x) just makes my ass sew buttonholes.” Never thought about the Freudian connection… ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-phrase-anal-retentive-come-from/151522/10 "2003-01-30T04:19:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jinx \* > \*\*The phalic stage (not genital) is the last of **three** stages of development per Freud’s theories. - Jinx \*\* You’re right about the phallic, but the stage I was thinking of (but couldn’t remember) was latency (no fixations), which comes after the phallic stage. Then of course genital fixation kicks in at the onset of puberty. ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Barber\_s\_Underwear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/58f4c7/32.png) [@Tony\_Barber\_s\_Underwear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Barber_s_Underwear)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-phrase-anal-retentive-come-from/151522/11 "2003-01-30T07:09:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jinx \* > Yes, it is Freudian, but! The REAL question is how did this phrase mutate to its misused meaning of today? I believe SNL is to blame for running a funny segment on the “anal retentive chef”. Actually, they meant the obsessive chef…which is NOT the same. Yet, I WAG, it just sounds funnier. (Perhaps this is the root of the misunderstanding of the incorrect term for multiple personalities, too?) > > Anal retentive people, Freud would claim, we would call “pack rats”, as one example. \*\*He would claim these people never developed to pass through Freud’s “anal stage” with success. > > - Jinx \*\* I’m sure corn was developed enough to ‘pass through’ Freud’s anal stage. - Bubba.