(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:
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New words. 2013.