# Do You Pick Your Nose? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 4, 2011, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pick-your-nose/570126 "2011-02-04T06:33:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gus\_Handsome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@Gus\_Handsome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gus_Handsome)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pick-your-nose/570126/1 "2011-02-04T06:33:48Z")
Is nose picking one of those things that everyone does but nobody admits to? Do you pick your nose? If so, how often? Ever been caught picking your nose? If you do pick your nose is there a chance you would be too embarrassed to admit it? Is it one of those activities like masturbating that everyone does but says they don’t? I pick mine a couple times a week in the morning, mostly during the winter because it’s so dry and blowing it doesn’t always get the crud out. I do my picking in private. ---
**Author:** ![Hairy\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecc23a/32.png) [@Hairy\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hairy_Bob)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pick-your-nose/570126/2 "2011-02-04T10:06:02Z")
I pick mine if I feel there is an obstruction that warrants removal, although if I’m within sight of someone I respect I’ll blow it into a tissue. Oh, and I try to avoid it around the kids as much as possible. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with nose picking, so long as you’re not going mad and causing nosebleeds, but I’ll admit it’s not the most attractive of gestures. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pick-your-nose/570126/3 "2011-02-04T12:09:37Z")
Since the OP is mainly looking for opinions, let’s move from GQ to IMHO. **samclem** Moderator ---
**Author:** ![ColdPhoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@ColdPhoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColdPhoenix)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pick-your-nose/570126/4 "2011-02-04T12:13:50Z")
Yes, I’ll pick out lumps as required. I tend to do it in the toilets and have never, even as a child, had the urge to eat it. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pick-your-nose/570126/5 "2011-02-04T14:11:05Z")
What do you do when your nose goes on strike? Picket! ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pick-your-nose/570126/6 "2011-02-04T14:34:42Z")
No, I just go with the one I’ve got. ---
**Author:** ![Chopper9760](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@Chopper9760](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chopper9760)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pick-your-nose/570126/7 "2011-02-04T15:32:08Z")
Nose-pickery is akin to flatulence, if I do it in front of you, we’re pals. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pick-your-nose/570126/8 "2011-02-04T15:36:37Z")
You can pick you nose, and you can pick your friends, just don’t ever pick your friend’s nose. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pick-your-nose/570126/9 "2011-02-04T20:01:21Z")
Michael Jackson used to pick his nose. And yes, of course I pick my nose. I want clean passageways. Always in private, never even as a kid wanted to eat it. Yuck. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pick-your-nose/570126/10 "2011-02-04T20:17:36Z")
Heck yeah I pick my nose. Many would say that it’s gross. To them I say “it’s not.” ---
**Author:** ![Gus\_Gusterson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@Gus\_Gusterson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gus_Gusterson)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pick-your-nose/570126/11 "2011-02-04T20:35:36Z")
I pick my nose. I do not have a funny joke to accompany this admission. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pick-your-nose/570126/12 "2011-02-05T01:55:32Z")
I used to dig my nose. My right finger is bigger than my left, so i usually stretch out each nostril by jamming the right index up there, then using the thinner left finger to find all the goodies. However, this method is very inefficient, because you have sinuses all over your face. You can only get the boogers about 1-1.5" past the opening. Nowadays, I usually splash a lot of water on my face, massage the sinuses, try to get a little water in my nose/eyes/mouth and brush my teeth first to moisten my sinuses, then blow the boogers out. On an average morning, I get about 4-5 pieces that look like I have a handful of maggots. Recently, I found out that there are some sinuses so deep that even blowing really really hard won’t get all of them. Enter the neti-pot. However, given the size of my nose, I usually have to do an entire bottle up a single nostril, then refill for the other side. No matter how many times I do this, there’s always another booger surfing out of my nose every time I do it. The other day, what looked like a soft boiled egg yolk came out while I was using the neti. I didn’t get a good look at it before it went down the drain, but I swear it was at least 2 inches across. Where the hell was that hiding? Did I inadvertently blow out part of my cerebrum? Should I go to the doctor? Long story short: I can proudly say I don’t pick my nose anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pick-your-nose/570126/13 "2011-02-05T02:40:29Z")
Yup, sure do. Can’t imagine living a whole life and not ever doing it. For that deep down clean feeling, I go up there with a Q-tip. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pick-your-nose/570126/14 "2011-02-05T03:08:45Z")
I like to blow it out in the morning, then roll up parts of the tissue to poke around up there and get bits that a finger would be no good for. It’s strictly bathroom behavior. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pick-your-nose/570126/15 "2011-02-05T03:13:31Z")
Yes. The human sinus is my number one argument against "Intelligent Design. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pick-your-nose/570126/16 "2011-02-05T03:53:34Z")
I’m one of those _surreptitious_ nose pickers if I’m out in public. Here are my methods : 1. The “Sweep The Index Finger Below The Nose Maneuver”… One’s dominant hand’s index finger sweeps quickly and horizontally back and forth under the nose. On the intial sweep left, nothing is obtained, but on the way back one very quickly inserts said index finger into offending nostril and traps the booger with the fingernail. This must be done very quickly and once said booger has been removed, one makes the “OK” sign along one’s thigh and flicks that bad boy off. 1. The “It’s Just Some Dead Skin” ploy (a special thank you to my wife for this one). Again using the index finger of the dominant hand, one makes downward brushing motions (pretend you are smoothing a moustache) underneath the nostrils while blowing air out of them in order to loosen aforementioned booger. If done successfully, it will never be noticed by anyone, and even if it were, one can always use the “Goodness, I’m having such dry skin these days! Must be the heat!” excuse. Hope this helps Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pick-your-nose/570126/17 "2011-02-05T04:03:04Z")
I blow my nose right after my morning hot shower and it generally vacates perfectly. But I have sinus problems and crap drips down/accumulates throughout the day. I can blow it but it doesn’t all come out unless I’m in a hot, moist environment. So yes, I’m a picker. And I eat it if there is no tissue or garbage can handy. I would rather eat it than flick it (fucking gross! boogers on everything) or stick it to random crap. I got a bunch of books handed down from my grandma after she died, and there are boogers stuck to random pages. ewwwwww. Just eat it and it’s gone, imo. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pick-your-nose/570126/18 "2011-02-05T04:21:51Z")
Yeah, I do. Not in public, though. And thinking about eating boogers or watching other people do so makes me gag. Gross. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pick-your-nose/570126/19 "2011-02-05T04:40:03Z")
Hey, **Quasi** , just for the record, those are what everybody does, so you’re fooling no one! Especially #1 - as soon as someone starts doing that, I’m like, “keep watching, the finger’s going up the nose in just a second!” But hey, ya gotta do what ya gotta do. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pick-your-nose/570126/20 "2011-02-05T04:45:51Z")
**SeaDragonTattoo** , Oh, jeez! I thought I had those moves almost _patented_! 🙂 May I introduce a small “variation on a theme” then? After all the stuff in #1 is completed, depending on the load, one can “comb through” one’s hair and then flick the offending hardened mucus backward? I _certainly_ wouldn’t recommend eating it, however! 🙂 Q [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pick-your-nose/570126.md?page=2)