# Do You Know What "Powders" Are? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 23, 2010, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-powders-are/533555 "2010-03-23T23:58:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-powders-are/533555/1 "2010-03-23T23:58:33Z")
I was in Walgreens today and a grandmother and her grandson (I’d say like 13 or 14) were there. The conversation went something like this: > [@](#): > > Grandma) Honey, go pick me up some of my [powders](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goody's_Powder) > > Grandson) What? > > Grandma) My powders, you’ll find them with the aspirin. > > Grandson) You mean your ‘powders’ are aspirin? > > Grandma) Yes, what did you think I they were > > Grandson) I thought you were taking drugs. I’m sorry but it cracked me up. I know what powders are, and I can imagine what the grandson thought when he’d see grandma opening the package of powder. So my questions is do you know what “powders” would mean, at least to an older person? ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-powders-are/533555/2 "2010-03-24T00:00:24Z")
BC Powders, for headaches, right? I’ve been around old people. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-powders-are/533555/3 "2010-03-24T00:14:03Z")
Aspirin ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-powders-are/533555/4 "2010-03-24T00:24:42Z")
Never heard of this. If anything, it sounds like a euphemism, like ‘powder room’. (Which I thought was something different than a washroom.) ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-powders-are/533555/5 "2010-03-24T00:26:36Z")
Headache powders, naturally. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-powders-are/533555/6 "2010-03-24T00:30:56Z")
Oops I said yes after reading the thread title, but not the poll title. But I have never heard of powders in that sense. I was thinking of powders being “powder skis”. They are extra-wide skis for floating through powder show, as opposed to normal skinny carving skis. ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-powders-are/533555/7 "2010-03-24T00:32:32Z")
Yeah, my grandparents use 'em. ---
**Author:** ![Booker57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Booker57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Booker57)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-powders-are/533555/8 "2010-03-24T00:32:36Z")
Sad to say I learned this from watching NASCAR. Goodys spokesperson was Richard Petty. ---
**Author:** ![SurrenderDorothy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/surrenderdorothy/32/1221_2.png) [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-powders-are/533555/9 "2010-03-24T00:35:47Z")
not a damn clue. never heard of them before this. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-powders-are/533555/10 "2010-03-24T00:37:00Z")
Without the medical context, I tend to think of powders as being either “make-up” or “ammunition propellant”. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-powders-are/533555/11 "2010-03-24T00:40:37Z")
They still sell those? I thought that sort of thing went out with the vapors. ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-powders-are/533555/12 "2010-03-24T00:41:48Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Never heard of this. If anything, it sounds like a euphemism, like ‘powder room’. (Which I thought was something different than a washroom.) That’s what I thought, something to do with the ‘powder room’. Never heard of it before. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-powders-are/533555/13 "2010-03-24T00:43:01Z")
I’m amazed. Even the local 7/11 carries them. I agree that’s only considered a “young people’s” product if they also contain caffeine, but still. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-powders-are/533555/14 "2010-03-24T00:48:55Z")
Marge: Maggie! We’ve got a surprise for you. [brings in the cake. Everyone takes photos of her, and Maggie gets frightened by the flashbulbs, candle flame, and darkened room. She whimpers] Abe: Ooh! Put some Lister’s Carbolic Unguent on a wad of cotton, and stick it in her ear! That’ll stop them shakes. Jackie: No, no. What she needs is a balsam specific. Abe: Balsam specific?! Oof! While we’re burning money, why don’t we give her a curative galvanic belt too. Bart: [raspy] Don’t forget to give her Smeckler’s Powder. Abe+Jackie: Don’t make fun! – “Lady Bouvier’s Lover” ---
**Author:** ![Risha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@Risha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Risha)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-powders-are/533555/15 "2010-03-24T01:50:48Z")
Before reading the OP, I thought this thread would be about makeup. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-powders-are/533555/16 "2010-03-24T01:58:03Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > Headache powders, naturally. I know that’s what they are, and that Goody’s is the most popular brand, but not how you take them. Put them in a drink? Pour them on your tongue? Og, I hope it’s the former… ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-powders-are/533555/17 "2010-03-24T02:02:00Z")
I grew up with BC Powdered aspirin. It’s great when your throat is closed up and you have trouble swallowing. ---
**Author:** ![ShelliBean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@ShelliBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShelliBean)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-powders-are/533555/18 "2010-03-24T02:49:31Z")
It’s BC or Goody’s powder. The crushed aspirin powder used to kill a headache, or whatever ails ya. Best taken by pouring diet coke into the back of your throat and dumping it into the held volume then swallowing. Even better taken with bourbon, one shot every 30 mins until no pain is felt. 🙂 ETA - if what ails ya is a heartache then you can skip the aspirin. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-powders-are/533555/19 "2010-03-24T02:54:51Z")
> [@Risha](#): > > Before reading the OP, I thought this thread would be about makeup. Same here. I thought it had to do with ladies going off to “powder their noses.” I don’t get the connection of Aspirin=powder. Aspirin’s a pill. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-powders-are/533555/20 "2010-03-24T03:06:14Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > I don’t get the connection of Aspirin=powder. Aspirin’s a pill. Unless, you know, it’s _powdered_. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-powders-are/533555.md?page=2)