potty dance

English

Alternative forms

• potty-dance

Etymology

From potty +‎ dance. The first sense is from the movements ostensibly resembling a dance.

Noun

potty dance (plural potty dances)

1. (sometimes humorous) Voluntary or involuntary movements resulting from attempting to avoid urination when one's bladder is full, typically categorised by crossing one's legs, hopping or twitching, and holding one's crotch.
   • 1994 May 1, Casper V. Klauscher, “No Place to Go”, in Detroit Free Press, page 8:

     "Noooo," the clerk replied calmly, looking me in the eye. "There's a state law that says we don't have to let you use our rest room." He turned back to his work. By now, I was furious, and my daughter was beginning to do the potty dance. Time was running out.

   • 2008 November 18, Debra Fulton-White, Naturally Beautiful: An Inspirational Romance Novel, iUniverse, →ISBN, pages 44–45:

     After they entered the bakery, Autumn started doing the potty dance. "Excuse me sir, do you have a restroom I can use?" she asked.

   • 2021 July 21, John Van Rys, “Nether Lands”, in Moonshine Promises, Wipf and Stock Publishers, →ISBN, page 1 (of chapter):

     The reception was now in full swing, and this was his third trip, each one brought on by a powerful urge from his nether regions. He counted the heads in front of him—six. Please hurry, he thought, as he performed the potty dance. He was tempted to head into the woods but knew no spot was secluded enough.

2. (childcare) In potty training, any dance meant to encourage infants or young children to use the potty/toilet.
   • 2002 June 25, Diane Stafford, Jennifer Shoquist, Potty Training For Dummies, 1 edition, Wiley, →ISBN, page 10:

     On her first day out, let your child know she's going to have lots of supporters cheering her on — to help her feel warm-and-fuzzy while she's learning this brand-new potty dance.

   • 2015 June 17, J. D. Rockefeller, Potty Training: Tips for Boys and Girls, CreateSpace, →ISBN, unnumbered page:

     Before the weekend starts, educate your child about going to the potty. Make up a potty dance to do when your child uses the bathroom successfully.

   • 2017 November 10, Lafwa S. Espero, Faith, Lulu.com, →ISBN, page 132:

     Baby K was on her way to being potty trained and we were loving the idea she was trying. We would get up and do the potty dance. Her eyes would get big and she would clap her hands and we all danced. Sometimes goofiness is all you need to keep a child entertained to use the potty. We would dance every time she went potty and she would put a sticker on the chart.

Verb

potty dance (third-person singular simple present potty dances, present participle potty dancing, simple past and past participle potty danced)

1. (intransitive, rare) To move in this manner.
   • 2000 September 22, “Voiding Dysfunction”, in Elroy D. Kursh, James C. Ulchaker, editor, Office Urology: The Clinician's Guide, Humana Press, →ISBN, Bladder Instability:

     The most frequent cause of incontinence in children is bladder instability. These children present with urge incontinence and squatting behavior, or "potty dancing." Most have been wet since toilet training, although a dry period of several months after toilet training is not uncommon.

   • 2019 February 7, M. C. Vaughan, The Reluctant Princess, Champagne Book Group, →ISBN, page 55:

     All he wanted was to put normal life on pause and go have a nice dinner with an attractive, kind woman. So if his ex could hurry and let their potty-dancing daughter into the house, that'd be stellar. He hit the doorbell a third time. The deadbolt tumbled, and Jess cracked the door, wielding a plunger.

Synonyms

• pee-pee dance (childish)