Once you rip a fart, the fumes can travel as fast as 10 feet per second in the air. That means the blast radius of your booty belch is quite large, especially if you’re crop dusting in a public space.

Butt what if you want to concentrate the stench of your fart and force someone to experience the full effect of your flatulence? In that case, we recommend the infamous Dutch oven prank. 

For the uninitiated, a Dutch oven involves farting in bed, then quickly pulling up the sheets to trap your significant other with the smell. It’s a decades-old trick that has surely ruined countless relationships, yet many dudes still dare to try it.

In this article we’ll explore the origins of Dutch oven farts and show you how to fire up a Dutch oven that smells so deadly you might make yourself gag.

What Is “Dutch Oven” Slang For? 

Dutch oven is a slang term for farting in bed and pulling the covers over your partner’s head, sealing in the stench of your gas. 

This gassy gag is named after an actual cooking device called a Dutch oven: a large metal pot that traps heat (and smells) under its lid. Similarly, the blanket or comforter creates an airtight barrier around the odor of your flatulence, forcing you and your partner to inhale the booty fumes until they dissipate, which can take as long as 30 seconds.

You can technically dutch oven yourself, if you desire. As we’ve reported, smelling your own farts comes with several legitimate health benefits. But the whole point of a Dutch oven is to give your bedmate a stinky surprise.

(Side note: you can’t get pink eye from a fart, so don’t worry about any collateral damage).

The term “Dutch oven” is primarily used as a noun, as in: “I did a Dutch oven that smelled like the rotting flesh of a dead racoon.” But the term can be used as a verb too. For example: “I’m totally going to Dutch oven Karen tomorrow morning.”

Where Did the Slang Term “Dutch Oven” Come From?

It’s not exactly clear when the definition of Dutch oven expanded beyond kitchenware to include this stinky stunt. Some sources date it all the way back to 1974, when National Lampoon magazine used the term to describe the act of trapping a fart under one’s bedsheet.

The earliest digital definition of Dutch oven looks to be a 2001 entry in Urban Dictionary, which has more than 1,200 upvotes as of today: “Whilst in bed...Person 1 farts and pulls blanket over unsuspecting Person 2 and yells ‘Dutch oven!’”

That same year, a book called The Girl Code explained that the Dutch oven was an important “boundary to maintain” in a relationship, noting that not everyone is fond of their partner farting in bed.

Since then, the term Dutch oven has solidified itself as one of the most popular potty humor terms ever. From shitposts on social media to Hollywood movie scripts, we simply love the idea of ripping ass under the sheets so somebody else has to suffer from the stench.

How to Dutch Oven Someone

Dutch ovening someone might seem straightforward, but it requires a balance of art and science to master this stinky stunt. Here’s how to produce a deadly dutch oven in five steps:

1. Work up a fart. Ideally, your fart should be silent but deadly. This makes it easier to catch your victim off guard. Pro tip: read our ultimate guide to making yourself fart.
2. Let it rip. This is pretty self-explanatory. Just make sure you don’t force your fart too intensely, otherwise you might accidentally shart in your sheets.
3. Yell “Dutch oven!” No Dutch oven is complete without shouting the phrase out loud to alert your victim.
4. Lift the covers. Pull the sheets and comforter over your and your partner’s heads. Make sure to pull them tight in order to capture as much of the stench as possible.
5. Breathe through your mouth. Unless you want to inhale the aftermath of your taco Tuesday dinner, we recommend mouth breathing to avoid gagging.

The stench from a Dutch oven can last anywhere between 5-30 seconds, depending on how bad your farts smell. Regardless, you’ll probably get kicked out of bed and have to sleep on the couch as a punishment for your prank.

Before Attempting a Dutch Oven, Get DUDE Wipes

When executed properly, a Dutch oven is one of the most explosively funny (and most diabolical) pranks a DUDE can pull. However, getting over-zealous with forcing flatulence can lead to something way nastier than the stench of your gas: a shart attack.

We’ve all been there: you think you’re unleashing a fart, then you feel a damp spot in your undies. And that smell…dear lord, that smell.

In these unfortunate scenarios, we can’t clean your sheets—but we can clean your butt. DUDE Wipes are portable, flushable wipes that mop up your mess and soothe your sensitive sides, leaving your ass fresher AF.

Grab a pack before you attempt your next Dutch oven.