# Why is retentive rather than expulsive the popular "anal" personality? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 24, 2005, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-retentive-rather-than-expulsive-the-popular-anal-personality/318475 "2005-08-24T19:39:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Corporate\_Hippie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/65b543/32.png) [@Corporate\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corporate_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-retentive-rather-than-expulsive-the-popular-anal-personality/318475/1 "2005-08-24T19:39:37Z")
I wonder why Freud’s “anal-retentive” came into mainstream use to describe an uptight, “neat-freak” personality rather than “anal-expulsive” to describe a sloppy, unorganized personality (Felix Ungar vs. Oscar Madison). Perhaps there was a greater demand for a derogatory word for describing an uptight person than a sloppy person. Maybe “anal-expulsive” conjured images of the wrong kind of sloppiness. It seems too late to try and bring “anal-expulsive” into vogue since “anal-retentive” has been shortened to just “anal” which is far too ambiguous if both terms are in circulation. It’s too bad, it seems like calling someone “anal-expulsive” would be a formidable insult, at least in grade school. ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-retentive-rather-than-expulsive-the-popular-anal-personality/318475/2 "2005-08-24T19:47:56Z")
I’ve wondered about this myself. And I wonder even more about people who go around saying, “I’m so anal.” ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-retentive-rather-than-expulsive-the-popular-anal-personality/318475/3 "2005-08-24T19:50:42Z")
Perhaps because “anal” conjures up the image of someone with a stick up their ass? Or because “anal expulsive” creates a really disgusting image? I dunno, those are my guesses. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-retentive-rather-than-expulsive-the-popular-anal-personality/318475/4 "2005-08-25T01:08:54Z")
> [@Corporate Hippie](#): > > I wonder why Freud’s “anal-retentive” came into mainstream use to describe an uptight, “neat-freak” personality rather than “anal-expulsive” to describe a sloppy, unorganized personality (Felix Ungar vs. Oscar Madison). > > l. since Freud never used the term, let’s find out where and when it appears. [The Mavens’ Word of The Day](http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=19970718) says it first appears in the 1950’s. That’s a good place to start searching. I think the answer is actually on that website. I didn’t check, as my daughter is telling me it’s her turn on the computer. Chat, you know. ---
**Author:** ![beergeek279](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@beergeek279](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beergeek279)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-retentive-rather-than-expulsive-the-popular-anal-personality/318475/5 "2005-08-25T05:48:57Z")
Well, I’d think it would be because a neat freak would absolutely insist on a pristine and quiet/private place to drop the Browns off at the pool, and they’d hold it in until this perfect place would be found, need to crap or no need to crap. ---
**Author:** ![xbuckeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9e8a1a/32.png) [@xbuckeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xbuckeye)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-retentive-rather-than-expulsive-the-popular-anal-personality/318475/6 "2005-08-25T13:48:01Z")
Or maybe because Phil Hartman never had an SNL character named the Anal-Expulsive Chef. [Link Enclosed](http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/Humor/SNL/Anal.htm) ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-retentive-rather-than-expulsive-the-popular-anal-personality/318475/7 "2005-08-25T14:08:58Z")
Wouldn’t it be repulsive?