# Am I supposed to know what "bitter almonds" smell like? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 25, 2013, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-supposed-to-know-what-bitter-almonds-smell-like/669670 "2013-09-25T21:03:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Apocalypso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Apocalypso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apocalypso)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2015, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-supposed-to-know-what-bitter-almonds-smell-like/669670/41 "2015-06-23T22:16:16Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Sure; I’m not doubting that the test works. It’s just that I have no idea what burning feathers smells like. I guess I could go get some feathers and find out. Burning feathers smell like bitter almonds 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-supposed-to-know-what-bitter-almonds-smell-like/669670/42 "2015-06-24T03:23:07Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > It’s just that I have no idea what burning feathers smells like. I guess I could go get some feathers and find out. Just imagine a duck on fire. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-supposed-to-know-what-bitter-almonds-smell-like/669670/43 "2015-06-24T09:25:29Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Just imagine a duck on fire. Is it bigger than a fox terrier? ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-supposed-to-know-what-bitter-almonds-smell-like/669670/44 "2015-06-24T10:42:35Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Just imagine a duck on fire. Then I just wonder if i should yell “duck” or “Fire”. I may be one of the cyanide non smelling. Almond extract smells pretty similar to cherry extract to me. Side by side I can see a bit of a difference, but almond by itself makes me immediately think of cherry. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-supposed-to-know-what-bitter-almonds-smell-like/669670/45 "2015-06-24T14:12:28Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Just imagine a duck on fire. I’m picturing it as smelling something like ennui filtered through unicorn piss. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-supposed-to-know-what-bitter-almonds-smell-like/669670/46 "2015-06-24T14:46:34Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > Then I just wonder if i should yell “duck” or “Fire”. > . The difference is that nobody makes a federal case out of it if you yell “Duck” in a crowded theater. ---
**Author:** ![M.Constant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ab097/32.png) [@M.Constant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/M.Constant)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-supposed-to-know-what-bitter-almonds-smell-like/669670/47 "2015-06-24T18:48:35Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Just imagine a duck on fire. Thankfully, the elephants have flat feet. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-supposed-to-know-what-bitter-almonds-smell-like/669670/48 "2015-06-24T19:26:50Z")
Are the elephant’s toenails painted red? ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-supposed-to-know-what-bitter-almonds-smell-like/669670/49 "2015-06-24T19:33:31Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > Then I just wonder if i should yell “duck” or “Fire”. “Fire”. If you yell “Duck!”, someone else shouts “Rabbit!” and it just turns into this whole thing, you know? ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-supposed-to-know-what-bitter-almonds-smell-like/669670/50 "2015-06-24T20:31:47Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > Are the elephant’s toenails painted red? That’s why I smell strawberries! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-supposed-to-know-what-bitter-almonds-smell-like/669670.md?page=2)