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CHAOS (KAY.aws) acronym. Can't have anyone over syndrome; not inviting guests to one's house because it is too messy or cluttered.

Example Citation:
Just as computers and e-mail have failed to render us a paperless society, living in a throwaway world seems to have eroded our will to throw anything away.

Where our grandmothers hoarded rubber bands and egg cartons, we've added eighties miniskirts, rice makers and six-year-old nail polish to the inventory.

While I may yet need to call in organizer Rennick, I decided to try to save her $150 consultation fee and $75 hourly charge.

So I signed up for Cilley's flylady.net support group after a punishing round of speed cleaning before an impromptu cocktail party. The place looked great, but I was so burnt out that sparkle was out of the question. I clearly had what Cilley calls CHAOS: Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome.
—Tralee Pearce, "Cut the clutter," The Globe and Mail, January 11, 2003

Earliest Citation:
Many people suffer from CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome) without realizing it. Their houses aren't unclean, just cluttered. They can't get organized.
—"Disorganized? Enter the CHAOS contest," The Salt Lake Tribune, December 29, 1991

Related Words:
house fluffer
hygiene hypothesis
supersoap
undecorating

Subject Categories:
Culture - Housing and Architecture
Language - Acronyms and Abbreviations
Science - Diseases and Syndromes

Posted on January 20, 2003 at 10:33 AM


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