# Innocuous things with bad associations for you **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 7, 2012, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/innocuous-things-with-bad-associations-for-you/618129 "2012-04-07T23:09:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/innocuous-things-with-bad-associations-for-you/618129/21 "2012-04-08T16:23:35Z")
> [@River\_Hippie](#): > > Eckrich Polish sausage. Cream Soda. > > Consumed a lot of both when I was laid off from a job I’d had for 18 years in 2001. I have a similar association with oil dipping bread (the kind you get at Carrabba’s style places). There weren’t any places to buy food for the first couple days after I took a direct hit from Hurricane Charley in 2004 and while I had enough calories, after I ran out of food besides bread I discovered that I still had spices and oil so I mixed up some oil dipping sauce and subsisted on that for two days. ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/innocuous-things-with-bad-associations-for-you/618129/22 "2012-04-08T18:33:52Z")
The Remake of _Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory_. ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/innocuous-things-with-bad-associations-for-you/618129/23 "2012-04-08T19:18:35Z")
Cantelope. Stairway to Heaven. Total Eclipse of the Heart. ---
**Author:** ![Terra1041](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Terra1041](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terra1041)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/innocuous-things-with-bad-associations-for-you/618129/24 "2012-04-08T22:27:01Z")
Small towns. The band Evanescence. The names Sophie, Sofia, or anything similar. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/innocuous-things-with-bad-associations-for-you/618129/25 "2012-04-08T22:31:17Z")
White Castle burgers. It was a drinking incident. The month of November, after loved ones died in November for four years straight. ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/innocuous-things-with-bad-associations-for-you/618129/26 "2012-04-08T22:45:55Z")
Whittling. Pale blue Austin Maxis and pavement cyclists. but mainly the whittling. Ugh. ---
**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:** [April 9, 2012, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/innocuous-things-with-bad-associations-for-you/618129/27 "2012-04-09T02:27:32Z")
Men’s Briefs Pink shirts on guys (because of an old pervy teacher back in high school) Long fingernails Pinto beans Sauerkraut Wet, soggy towels Madtv’s [Spy vs. Spy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spy_vs._Spy) [Back freckles](http://i.imgur.com/pZzzb.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Lucky\_13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucky_13/32/13209_2.png) [@Lucky\_13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_13)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/innocuous-things-with-bad-associations-for-you/618129/28 "2012-04-09T06:20:32Z")
The names Susan or Sue, for a long time. Sunny D orange drink The theme song of “Laverne and Shirley” Piles of cardboard boxes - they make me think of homelessness, or at least of some city where the poorest people make houses out of cartons and whatever else they can find. Children with bare feet and dirty faces Playground slides made of metal The songs “Where’d You Go” by Fort Minor, “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac, and any cover versions, as well as pretty much anything by Elvis Costello. This is music I listened to a lot after I first broke up with my ex. Also the song “I Can Only Imagine,” by some Christian band I forget. It was played at the funerals of two people who were very dear to me. One of my coworkers has this song as her ring tone, and I get a little sad every time her cell phone rings. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/innocuous-things-with-bad-associations-for-you/618129/29 "2012-04-09T07:25:25Z")
Phone calls between midnight and 6:00 a.m. Without exception, they have always been to report deaths in the family. Why my family cannot die during business hours, I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Patience\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@Patience\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patience_Jones)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/innocuous-things-with-bad-associations-for-you/618129/30 "2012-04-09T08:35:51Z")
The smell of lavender. The song “Be Near Me” by ABC. ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/innocuous-things-with-bad-associations-for-you/618129/31 "2012-04-09T08:50:29Z")
Chasing Cars, by Snow Patrol. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/innocuous-things-with-bad-associations-for-you/618129/32 "2012-04-09T08:59:05Z")
Nine dollars. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/innocuous-things-with-bad-associations-for-you/618129/33 "2012-04-09T09:00:26Z")
The phone ringing, especially in the evening. ---
**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:** [April 9, 2012, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/innocuous-things-with-bad-associations-for-you/618129/34 "2012-04-09T12:35:37Z")
I thought of another one: Corn syrup ---
**Author:** ![MegaBee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@MegaBee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaBee)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/innocuous-things-with-bad-associations-for-you/618129/35 "2012-04-09T12:39:07Z")
Gin ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/innocuous-things-with-bad-associations-for-you/618129/36 "2012-04-09T16:16:05Z")
Easter lilies and poinsettias. When I was a little kid, my grandmother owned a nursing home - family would never come to visit those sick and dying people. Even on the holidays they never came to visit and would send those plants instead. Those two plants scream lonely death to me. ---
**Author:** ![tallcoldone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9a140/32.png) [@tallcoldone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tallcoldone)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/innocuous-things-with-bad-associations-for-you/618129/37 "2012-04-09T16:24:20Z")
Horseradish. I once ate an Arby’s roast beef sandwich with Horsey sauce; the next day I had bad things coming out of every orifice, thought I was going to die, and then was afraid I wouldn’t. THat was 25+ years ago and I still don’t like horseradishy stuff. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/innocuous-things-with-bad-associations-for-you/618129/38 "2012-04-09T16:29:34Z")
Pastel mints. It used to be just the sight of them. Now I have to smell or touch them. It only took me 25 years to get to the point where I could see them without shuddering and gagging. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/innocuous-things-with-bad-associations-for-you/618129/39 "2012-04-09T16:42:05Z")
Castor oil! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/innocuous-things-with-bad-associations-for-you/618129/40 "2012-04-09T16:45:25Z")
Peas and carrots. I got sick after eating them in elementary school, and I STILL can’t eat peas, nor carrots in little cubed shapes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/innocuous-things-with-bad-associations-for-you/618129.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/innocuous-things-with-bad-associations-for-you/618129.md?page=3)