Dictionary definition of “fart in a mitten”

fart in a mitten

n. something frenetic or very active; something insignificant. Subjects: English, Slang

Editorial Note: Usually by way of comparison: “like a fart in a mitten.”

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Citations: 1973 Alden Nowlan Various Persons Named Kevin O’Brien: A Fictional Memoir (Toronto, Canada) p. 25: Sure sounds funny to the wife and me to hear our grandchildren spittin’ out the Portuguese to one another and them no bigger than a fart in a mitten. 1993 David Rowan Guardian (London, England) (June 5) “Lingua Franca: One Hell Of An Insult…” p. 69: Such terms would, understandably, have the Broadcasting Standards people “jumping about like a fart in a mitten,” in the phrase that [Reinhold] Aman cited in 1984. 1994 [TPratt] ADS-L (Nov. 23) “Offensive sayings ‘from’ PEI”: Many, many thanks (personal to follow) to all who helped me clarify a list of potential sayings for my Prince Edward Island collection.…busy as a fart in a mitten. 1997 [Ron] Usenet: alt.games.mechwarrior2 (Nov. 24) “Re: Shattered Steel…now that’s pretty…”: There is more to a mech game then jumping around like a fart in a mitten blast’n things. 1999 [Frank M. Miller] Usenet: alt.culture.fabulous (Feb. 11) “Re: Sometimes I can’t supress the typical female feelings like a sense of colours and creativity”: We had a great one back in my social service days (and no, I did not work with Jane Addams at Hull House): “That’s about as effective as a fart in a mitten.” 1999 Sue Hubbell A Country Year: Living the Questions (Apr. 26) p. 21: I have lived in the Ozarks twelve years now, so I did not say thank you and leave.…“Seems like folks come in looking for parts and interrupting all the time. Got me as fussed as fart in a mitten.” 2000 [Gord Beaman] @ Prince Edward Island, Canada Usenet:can.community.military (July 18) “Re: Harassment training (was Expres Test)”: I could not bear to cut any of this out, you did a helluva good job and because the whole god damned thing started over a fart in a mitten made by me I can truthfully confirm that you have the meat of the situation down exactly. 2003 George B. Higgins, Greg O'Brien How to Speak Like a Cape Codder: An Old Salt’s Dictionary (Dec.) p. 29: To run around like a “fart in a mitten” is descriptive of the sort of frenzied rushing of a puppy or small child. It has to be the ultimate mismatch of words, the origin of which is absolutely shrouded in the mists of total obscurity. But mother, nonetheless, accused me of it. 2006 Troy ADS-L (Oct. 6) “Fart in a mitten”: Here’s a saying I had previously only encountered within my family, particularly my grandparents who grew up in Southern Indiana. The usage I am familiar with always conveyed restlessness, frenetic energy. “You are bouncing around like a far in a mitten.” 2006 TMZ.com (Dec. 30) “Gotta Know—Paris, Halle, Lindsay”: Fart in a mitten is defined as an odor that becomes trapped in fabrics, which you just can’t eliminate. We’re guessing the person who made the comment thinks Paris is the odor and the world is the fabric.

Posted 4 Jan 07 | Permalink | Tell a Friend

Reader comments:

My husband has always used a variation on this, for the first meaning (something frenetic): “like a fart in a skillet.”

by Deborah Lockridge 05 Jan 07, 1200 GMT

Thanks, Deborah! Very useful. I’ll make a cite for it.

by Grant Barrett 05 Jan 07, 1242 GMT

also . . .

“Fart in a Deep Bathtub” ~~~

lotsa sound and fury, but nothing of any lasting value. ‘thrilling at the time, but so what ???

by paddy s 05 Jan 07, 0424 GMT

In Australia it’s ‘fart in a bottle’.

by Deborah Ehrlich 08 Jan 07, 1036 GMT

We moved to Cal 50 years ago, when I was just a kid. My mother still comes up with old Irish - New England stuff that cracks us up. When a pitch or a proposal does not prove to be well received, Mom will comment “Well, that went over like a fart in church!”

by FRED CARROLL 14 Jan 07, 0849 GMT

Re: Fred Carroll’s comment of 1/14/2007:

My sargeant in the U.S. Marine Corps introduced me to one of his favorite phrases; “That’s as obvious as a turd in a punchbowl”.

by Dick Stacy 06 Apr 07, 0409 GMT