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Six in ten Americans admit to having dealt it, smelled it, and blamed it on someone else - more specifically their partner, a new poll has found.
A study delving into the stigma, myths and attitudes around ‘passing gas’ surveyed 2,000 Americans and found a surprising number of people have blamed a fart on someone else.
About half of the survey participants admitted to blaming their partner, and 45 percent have pointed their finger at the dog.
The survey also discovered that nearly three in ten (27 percent) have also used a fart as a weapon to annoy or disgust another person - usually their spouse.
Such actions aren’t restricted to childhood, however with six in ten having made a fart joke or prank while over the age of 25.
The research, conducted by The Parthenon Co, makers of the internal deodorizer Devrom, examined American attitudes towards flatulence and the myths or taboos surrounding it.
The term farting is most commonly used by Americans when discussing the bodily function, followed by ‘passing gas’ and ‘breaking wind’.
As for the top foods blamed for American flatulence, the expected beans rolled in at number one, followed by eggs, and vegetables.
While most Americans agree that it is unhealthy to hold back a fart, eight in ten said they do it anyway.
Nearly a quarter (23 percent) of the survey participants are bothered by their personal flatulence.
In fact, the average person will ‘let one rip’ four times every day - with 79 percent reporting that their farts typically smells bad.
The results also show it is generally deemed more acceptable to have a loud but odor-free fart, then one that is silent but deadly.
Those smelly farts have put people in an awkward position every day. In a bid to hide the bad smell, a clever one in five (19%) would attempt to create a diversion by making a loud noise to cover up the loud sounds of a fart.
If it’s the silent but deadly type, at least 41 percent would use air freshener to cover up the smell or simply leave the room completely.
But there’s not always an easy way out of this sort of situation. From farting while bending over to pick something up, to passing gas at the doctor's office, 64 percent of Americans have embarrassingly passed gas during a social situation.
The survey also unearths the facts and common misconceptions regarding flatulence including the causes, what’s normal and what isn’t.
Nearly one in six of the survey participants did not know flatulence forms in the digestive system.
While one in five think excess farting is normal, nearly a quarter (22 percent) aren’t comfortable passing gas around their significant other.
A spokesperson for Devrom said: "We all experience bouts of intestinal gas daily and some are worse than others. Most flatulence can be managed by our diet. For those situations where odor from flatulence or stool is especially strong, Devrom tablets work fast to deodorize smelly gas. It’s a safe, effective, and inexpensive drug (that doesn’t require a Rx) that can save almost all of us from some really embarrassing situations."
"It's no surprise that people are self-conscious about passing gas in public. It isn't socially acceptable and embarrassing for some people to even talk about. Devrom® gives people the freedom to be themselves without worry about odor."
TOP 10 COMMON WORDS FOR GAS
Farting
Passing gas
Breaking wind
Cut the cheese
Toot
Pooted
Flatulence
Let rip
Drop a bomb
Rip ass
TOP 10 FOODS PEOPLE THINK GIVES THEM GAS
Beans
Eggs
Vegetables
Milk and dairy products
Junk food
Starchy foods
Processed meats
Alcohol
Fruits
Wheat
TOP 10 EMBARRASSING SITUATIONS WHERE PEOPLE HAVE PASSED GAS
Bending over to pick something up
Standing in line at a store
During sex
Exercising/working out
While at school
Car filled with people
Birthday party
During dinner
In an elevator
At the doctor's office
END