Let’s get something straight: everyone farts.
It’s one of those shared human experiences, and yet, it’s cloaked in embarrassment. But here’s the truth — farting is about as ordinary as breathing, a biological function that happens to every single one of us.
Let’s drop the awkwardness and dig into some fascinating facts about farting that just might change how you think about it.
1. Farting Dates Back to the Earliest Known Joke
It turns out, fart humor is ancient.
Researchers from England’s University of Wolverhampton discovered that the oldest recorded joke, dating back to 1900 BCE, is a fart joke from Sumerian culture.
The line? “Something which has never occurred since time immemorial; a young woman did not fart in her husband’s lap.”
Even thousands of years ago, humor had a thing for the human body’s quirky sounds.
2. If You’re Alive, You Fart
There’s no getting around it — farting is universal.
Every person produces gas as a byproduct of digestion, thanks to swallowed air and bacteria working hard in the intestines. It’s a sign of a healthy digestive system and a completely natural outcome of food processing in the body.
So if someone says they don’t fart, they’re simply ignoring nature’s call.
3. Flatus: The Fancy Term for Farting
Next time you feel the urge, you can refer to it by its proper name: flatus.
This is the formal term, derived from the Latin word for “blowing.”
There’s even a scientific term, borborygmus, for the sound that happens when gas builds up in the stomach — so you could say your stomach is “borborygmusing” before it releases a fart.
4. On Average, People Fart 14 Times a Day
If you think you’re above average in the gas department, you’re likely not alone.
The average adult releases about two pints of gas each day across roughly 14 farts. And if that sounds low, relax — passing gas up to 21 times daily is still perfectly normal.
5. The Culprit Behind the Smell: Sulfur
Most of what you pass is odorless, made up of gases like nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide.
But sulfur is the reason some farts have that unmistakable aroma. Foods like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and dairy products contain sulfur compounds that intensify the smell.
A small percentage of gas contains these sulfur compounds, but it’s enough to make a strong impression.
6. Holding It in? It’s Not as Easy as You Think
While it’s possible to temporarily control a fart, holding one in can lead to serious discomfort.
Eventually, the gas has to find a way out, and sometimes, it may escape louder than it would have otherwise.
According to experts, “holding it in” doesn’t stop the gas from leaving; it just builds up until it releases.
7. Holding Gas Could Lead to Mouth Burps (In Extreme Cases)
If you’re one of those people who’s determined not to pass gas, there’s a slim chance that some of it could actually seep back into your bloodstream and then escape through your mouth.
It’s rare, but it can happen. So when you feel the pressure, it’s often best just to let it out.
8. Even Shakespeare Loved a Good Fart Joke
Despite being considered rude, farting has made its way into classic literature.
Shakespeare was a fan of the fart joke, slipping it into lines like the one from A Comedy of Errors, where Dromio quips, “A man may break a word with you, sir; and words are but wind.”
That’s old-timey talk for fart humor.
9. Classic Literature Has Many Fart Mentions
Shakespeare wasn’t the only one.
Geoffrey Chaucer, Mark Twain, and even Dante wrote about passing gas. It seems that farts have been a literary staple for centuries, providing laughs across eras and cultures.
10. Farting Can Be a Fetish
Believe it or not, flatulence is more than just a bodily function for some. Known as “eproctophilia,” this fascination with farting can even be a source of attraction for certain individuals.
While uncommon, it’s documented in scientific case studies, showing that people’s interests can vary widely — even in the gas department.
11. For Some, Loud Farts Mean Lawsuits
Flatulence isn’t just for laughs — it’s been the source of serious disputes.
In Australia, a supervisor once faced a lawsuit from a former employee who claimed that the boss would repeatedly pass gas in his office as a form of bullying.
The lawsuit, asking for over a million dollars in damages, didn’t end up in favor of the employee, but it sparked quite the workplace controversy.
12. Police and Farts Don’t Always Mix
In Germany, a man was fined for disrespecting law enforcement when he responded to a police request with two intentional farts.
The case became infamous as the “Crazy Toot Trial,” drawing national debate over public spending and the definition of “disrespect.”
13. Farts Can Be Part of the Art World
In the 19th century, Joseph Pujol, a French baker, created a stage persona known as Le Pétomane, literally “The Fart Maniac.”
His talent? He could imitate musical sounds and perform skits through controlled flatulence.
Pujol went on to sell out shows, proving that even gas could be elevated to performance art.
14. How Big is a Fart?
In 1991, researchers at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in England studied how much space a typical fart occupies.
With the help of volunteers (and beans), they concluded that the average fart takes up between 33 and 125 milliliters — about the size of a travel shampoo bottle.
15. Beans Really Do Make You Gassier
It turns out that the childhood rhyme was spot-on: beans are indeed the “musical fruit.”
Beans are high in certain fibers that our bodies can’t digest, leaving it up to bacteria to break them down.
This fermentation process produces gas, which is why beans can lead to an orchestra of toots.
16. No, Silent Farts Aren’t Always the Smelliest
Despite the myth, there’s no scientific link between the volume of a fart and its odor.
A “silent but deadly” fart may indeed smell, but that’s just due to sulfur levels, not the sound — or lack thereof.
17. Cold Weather Can Make Farts Visible
In winter, when the air is chilly enough, you can actually see a fart, just as you can see your breath.
It’s another quirky feature of our biology, and it’s why you might see a slight mist on a cold day if someone lets one go.
18. Farts Smell Worse in the Shower
If you think your farts are more intense in the shower, it’s not your imagination.
The warm, enclosed space means the smell has nowhere to dissipate, amplifying the scent.
Plus, steam enhances your sense of smell, making it extra potent.
19. Fart Disease? Unlikely, but Possible
In rare cases, flatulence could theoretically spread illness.
For this to happen, the person would need to have a transmittable disease and, well, no clothes.
It’s a highly unlikely situation, but it’s a reminder that sometimes, airing out isn’t the worst thing.
20. Farts in the Animal Kingdom
Farts aren’t exclusive to humans — most animals produce gas, and for some, it’s a matter of life or death.
The Bolson pupfish, for example, needs to expel gas to survive. If it doesn’t, the trapped gas could cause the fish to float to the surface, where it’s easy prey.
On the opposite end, termites produce vast amounts of methane, making them one of the largest sources of natural gas emissions globally.
Farts Are Here to Stay
Farts might be embarrassing, funny, or just another part of the daily grind, but they’re a fact of life.
Across history, from ancient jokes to modern research, we’ve found ways to laugh, study, and even argue over them. At the end of the day, a fart is a reminder that we’re all human.
So next time, instead of holding it in or feeling embarrassed, embrace the quirkiness — it’s just another part of what makes us who we are.