After the anal stage the child's development will be able to move on to the "phallic stage" when the child's focus of attention will shift to the genital region. Freud believed that conflicts with parents and delays during toilet training can cause a person to become fixated on anal control, which later manifests itself as a compulsive concern with order, cleanliness and retention of assets.

?

This term is often used in reference to anybody seen as overly worried about "nit-picking", small details of form, style and etiquette, uptight or distressed over ordinarily minor problems, and unable to adopt a philosophical attitude toward mistakes. This metaphorical usage has become so commonplace that the somewhat graphic literal meaning of the phrase is often overlooked by those using it.