# Fragrances/aromas/smells: Yea or Nay? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 10, 2006, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fragrances-aromas-smells-yea-or-nay/368151 "2006-08-10T14:12:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fragrances-aromas-smells-yea-or-nay/368151/1 "2006-08-10T14:12:30Z")
# Patchouli Popcorn Jasmine Bacon Magnolia New car White Shoulders Cinnamon Rolls Sandalwood New electronics New jeans Coffee Just mowed grass Christmas tree Campfire Old Spice Charcoal grilled burgers The ocean A bakery or a bread plant Roses If your Top 10 smells are not on that list of 20, what are they? ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fragrances-aromas-smells-yea-or-nay/368151/2 "2006-08-10T14:16:00Z")
Fresh clean puppy Vanilla Dark (and I mean DARK) chocolate Espresso ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fragrances-aromas-smells-yea-or-nay/368151/3 "2006-08-10T14:20:39Z")
Honeysuckle - technically that’s the scent of White Shoulders, but the real thing is absolutely heavenly on a warm night. Lily of the Valley Butterfly bush Vanilla Coconut Basil Peppermint Apple and cinnamon pie Orange oil Wintergreen FWIW, I don’t care much for either patchouli or ‘new car’ smell. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fragrances-aromas-smells-yea-or-nay/368151/4 "2006-08-10T14:35:47Z")
[QUOTE=romansperson] FWIW, I don’t care much for either patchouli… [/QUOTE] Really like your additions. Patchouli is just one of those incense sticks that were really big 20-30 years ago (maybe still are) but I didn’t want to list them all and just used patchouli as an example. What are some others from the era? Frangipanni Musk Strawberry (I must have had 10 or so different ones but just can’t recall their names – or the scents.) FWIW, I have yet to enter an aromatherapy place. How are they? ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fragrances-aromas-smells-yea-or-nay/368151/5 "2006-08-10T14:36:52Z")
In no particular order. . . Coffee Beer Wine Scotch Mangoes Bacon Grilled meats Sausage Roses ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fragrances-aromas-smells-yea-or-nay/368151/6 "2006-08-10T15:02:01Z")
Chocolate chip cookies baking Steak broiling Hot cotton clothes from the dryer Musty basements Turpentine Piles of leaves in the fall Fresh clean baby [I thought the thread would be able yay or nay on people wearing scents and I’m a nay. Just be clean and that’s a nice natural smell.] ---
**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fragrances-aromas-smells-yea-or-nay/368151/7 "2006-08-10T15:03:55Z")
Why oh why can’t they come up with a bacon flavored cologne? BACON!!! I am very sensitive to smells. Patchouli will send me to bed with a migraine if I am around for any length of time at all. I don’t mind subtle smells but egads folks, put down the firehose! ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fragrances-aromas-smells-yea-or-nay/368151/8 "2006-08-10T15:06:27Z")
[QUOTE=gigi] [I thought the thread would be able yay or nay on people wearing scents and I’m a nay. Just be clean and that’s a nice natural smell.] [/QUOTE] Believe it or not, as I was typing the title my intention was to list some smells and ask for Yea or Nay on each. But as I was building the list (off the top of my head) it occurred to me that I was probably going to leave off a whole bunch of them. That’s when I switched from the Yea/Nay thing to just a list. But please feel free – you and anyone else – to go copy my list or anybody else’s and label each item with Yea or Nay. That would make the title make sense. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Godfrey\_Daniels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Godfrey\_Daniels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Godfrey_Daniels)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fragrances-aromas-smells-yea-or-nay/368151/9 "2006-08-10T15:15:11Z")
Gardenias Tomato plants Cookies baking (Toll House, especially) Earth, just after a short rain shower on a warm day Horses, saddle leather Fresh cut watermelon Peppers roasting Many already listed, especially jasmine, coffee, bread baking, bacon. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fragrances-aromas-smells-yea-or-nay/368151/10 "2006-08-10T15:58:59Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] Patchouli is just one of those incense sticks that were really big 20-30 years ago (maybe still are) but I didn’t want to list them all and just used patchouli as an example. What are some others from the era? Frangipanni Musk Strawberry (I must have had 10 or so different ones but just can’t recall their names – or the scents.) [\QUOTE] Ylang ylang Sandalwood, which you already mentioned Frankincense and Myrrh Cedarwood Amber ---
**Author:** ![Licentious\_Ectomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@Licentious\_Ectomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Licentious_Ectomorph)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fragrances-aromas-smells-yea-or-nay/368151/11 "2006-08-10T16:02:28Z")
Old books! ---
**Author:** ![Wnabtokio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Wnabtokio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wnabtokio)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fragrances-aromas-smells-yea-or-nay/368151/12 "2006-08-10T17:18:37Z")
Fresh Linen Leather Peppermint Milk, cream, and things scented that way Bread baking Verbena Lemons and Limes Men’s colognes (pretty much all of them) Curry Cotton Candy I don’t know that you could buy those in a candle store or anything, but they definitely make my nose happy every time I smell them. ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fragrances-aromas-smells-yea-or-nay/368151/13 "2006-08-10T17:52:40Z")
# Patchouli - nay Popcorn - yay Jasmine - The flower, yay. Perfume, nay Bacon - yay Magnolia - nay New car - nay White Shoulders - eh? Cinnamon Rolls - yay Sandalwood - nay New electronics - yay New jeans - nay Coffee - yay Just mowed grass - yay Christmas tree - yay Campfire - yay Old Spice - NAY Charcoal grilled burgers - yay The ocean - yay (on a good day) A bakery or a bread plant - yay Roses - yay If your Top 10 smells are not on that list of 20, what are they? Vanilla Cotton Chocolate Jovan Musk ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fragrances-aromas-smells-yea-or-nay/368151/14 "2006-08-10T18:02:15Z")
[QUOTE=LunaV] Jovan Musk [/QUOTE] This and Love’s Baby Soft would take me back to high school. I’m not sure I’m ready for that! ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fragrances-aromas-smells-yea-or-nay/368151/15 "2006-08-10T18:25:50Z")
[QUOTE=gigi] Just be clean and that’s a nice natural smell. [/QUOTE] But not anything that’s been scented to smell “clean” - Febreze, and pretty much any air “freshener” will make me run from the room. My counterpart to “new electronics” (really just a bunch of off-gassing, similar to new-car smell) is old electronics. Vacuum tubes, specifically. The thing heats up and the smells come forth gently from the dust on the tubes and the varnishes, phenolic resins, etc used as insulating materials. A very different and much more “organic” smell than what comes out of a new TV. Anyone mention printer’s ink yet? I love the smell wafting out of a print shop. How about oil? I recently used my nose to evaluate an old sewing machine - I sniffed at it, and it smelled like oil. Good oil - the smell of a machine that’s been taken care of. I can’t describe the smell at all, but I can recognize the smell of old congealed, gone-bad oil and rusty parts. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fragrances-aromas-smells-yea-or-nay/368151/16 "2006-08-10T18:28:36Z")
I will try to include everything mentioned so far: **Patchouli** - yay, but in small doses **Popcorn** - yay **Jasmine** - meh **Bacon** - only if I’m hungry (really!) **Magnolia** - meh **New car** - yay **White Shoulders** - never smelled it (that I know of) **Cinnamon Rolls** - yay **Sandalwood** - yay, in small doses **New electronics** - yay (good one!) **New jeans** - they have a smell? **Coffee** - yay **Just mowed grass** - yay, sometimes **Christmas tree** - yay **Campfire** - never smelled one, but I like the smell of fireplaces **Old Spice** - meh **Charcoal grilled burgers** - nay **The ocean** - yay **A bakery or a bread plant** - yay **Roses** - meh (I’m not much for floral scents, as you might be noticing) **Fresh clean puppy** - never smelled it **Vanilla** - meh **Dark (and I mean DARK) chocolate** - I love the taste, but am not aware of it having much of a smell **Espresso** - meh **Honeysuckle** - meh **Lily of the Valley** - not familiar with it **Butterfly bush** - not familiar with it **Coconut** - yay **Basil** - meh **Peppermint** - yay **Apple and cinnamon pie** - yay (just plain apple pie works, too!) **Orange oil** - nay **Wintergreen** - yay **Frangipanni** - not familiar with it **Musk** - yay **Strawberry** - yay, in small doses **Beer** - yay **Wine** - nay **Scotch** - yay **Mangoes** - meh **Grilled meats** - yay **Sausage** - yay **Chocolate chip cookies baking** - yay **Steak broiling** - yay **Hot cotton clothes from the dryer** - yay **Musty basements** - nay **Turpentine** - nay **Piles of leaves in the fall** - yay **Fresh clean baby** - yay **Gardenias** - meh **Tomato plants** - never smelled them **Earth, just after a short rain shower on a warm day** - yay **Horses, saddle leather** - yay **Fresh cut watermelon** - yay **Peppers roasting** - never smelled it **Ylang ylang** - not familiar with it **Frankincense and Myrrh** - nay **Cedarwood** - meh **Amber** - never smelled it **Old books!** - yay (though I actually prefer the smell of new books, particularly hardbacks: am I the only one who puts their nose up to the binding and inhales with a smile?) **Fresh Linen** - yay **Leather** - yay **Milk, cream, and things scented that way** - meh **Verbena** - not familiar with it **Lemons and Limes** - nay **Men’s colognes (pretty much all of them)** - depends; my only clear favorite is Drakkar Noir **Curry** - meh **Cotton Candy** - nay **Cotton** - meh **Jovan Musk** - I’m more of a Coty’s Wild Musk girl, myself 😉 **old electronics** - meh **printer’s ink** - never smelled it **oil** - nay ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fragrances-aromas-smells-yea-or-nay/368151/17 "2006-08-10T18:33:26Z")
And my additional “yays”: [ul][li]gasoline[/li][li]a fresh deck of cards[/li][li]nail polish[/li][li]some nail polish removers[/li][li]roasted chicken[/li][li]pasta gravy[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Grossbottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ba8739/32.png) [@Grossbottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grossbottom)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fragrances-aromas-smells-yea-or-nay/368151/18 "2006-08-10T21:28:03Z")
Alredy mentioned: Cinnamon Rolls Vanilla Gardenias Curry Not mentioned: Gingerbread Orange peel Hot beach sand Towels and pillows after the first time a girl stays over Garlic My tomato paste roasting in the oven Play-doh New Crayola crayons ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fragrances-aromas-smells-yea-or-nay/368151/19 "2006-08-10T21:32:11Z")
[QUOTE=gotpasswords] But not anything that’s been scented to smell “clean” - Febreze, and pretty much any air “freshener” will make me run from the room. [/QUOTE] Yeah, this obsession to spray chemicals in the air to protect your new baby?!? Grr. like I want my baby breathing in \*oust \* all day. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fragrances-aromas-smells-yea-or-nay/368151/20 "2006-08-10T22:34:01Z")
Cucumber is one of my favorites. I even have cucumber perfume. It’s so fresh and green. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fragrances-aromas-smells-yea-or-nay/368151.md?page=2)