Stoid, fixed in own ways, unchanging, perfectionist.

Uptight, stubborn.

Usage Note: You might like to think you're ascribing some sort of diagnosis to a person when you describe him as "anally retentive", but it doesn't mean anything in a psychiatric sense. It sounds professional, but it's merely a disguised way to insult someone.

Although the original Freudian idea of the evolution of the character through various stages like the "anal stage", at each of which it was possible to get stuck, has not really stood the test of time, many outside the psychological community feel that it's still worth having a term for those backed-up individuals one occasionally encounters who have an abiding need to stop fussing about something or other and relax, unclench, and *blow it out their ass*. For this, "anally retentive" (or simply "anal") will serve as well as anything.

Unforthcoming, nervous. A lack of self confidence.

A term used to refer to a person who feels a need to be in control of all aspects of his or her surroundings. Or, in other words, an anal retentive person "can't let go of shit."

One who is excessively insistent upon the smallest detail of something, usually through ignorance or taking things too literally.

Anal retention is holding on to a monster poo when you can't get to the toilet.