# "Non-traditional" Favorite Smells **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 23, 2016, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-favorite-smells/744026 "2016-01-23T22:29:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-favorite-smells/744026/61 "2016-01-24T20:42:25Z")
I have a particular face cream by Obagi that I’ve been using for about 15 years and I love the smell of it. It’s not medicinal, herbal, or flowery or anything like usual lotion/cream smells. I can’t describe it exactly… it’s a little bit like dry toast or dry grass. I usually put it on before I go to bed and then I just lie there smelling my face. \ What can I say–I’m a simple woman, easily amused. They’ll probably stop making this product tomorrow now that I’ve outed my particular love for it. I didn’t read the whole thread, but did anyone mention, as kids, crawling inside great big [concrete drainpipe](http://www.1stresourcesolutions.com/images/reinforced-concrete-o-ring-storm-drain-pipe-big2.jpg) segments that were sitting around, waiting to be installed somewhere? And how clean and neutral that nice concrete smelled. If there were enough of these pipes lying around, they were great for hide & seek. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-favorite-smells/744026/62 "2016-01-24T20:47:06Z")
> [@Jennshark](#): > > doppelgangers Dopergangers? ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-favorite-smells/744026/63 "2016-01-24T20:54:50Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > Dopergangers? Brilliant! 🙂 Your check’s in the mail. A “doperganger” thread would be cool . . should we try it? ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-favorite-smells/744026/64 "2016-01-24T21:13:30Z")
I may be the only person on earth who finds the smell of skunk to be rather enjoyable. Closer to mainstream, I absolutely love the smell of a freshly-mown lawn. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-favorite-smells/744026/65 "2016-01-24T21:26:17Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > I may be the only person on earth who finds the smell of skunk to be rather enjoyable. I like it. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-favorite-smells/744026/66 "2016-01-24T21:27:22Z")
- When you tell your big beautiful Bernese Mountain Dog that he’s been a good boy and scritch him behind the ears, then bury your face in the thick fur at the top of his head. That smell. - The smell of pine and fir trees bring back childhood summers, and the smell of a Christmas tree when you first bring it into the house makes memories of Christmases of long ago come rushing back like they’d been invoked by a magic spell. > [@GrumpyBunny](#): > > Johnson’s Paste Wax. My mom used it on the floors of our first house. Wow, I never would have thought of that, yet it’s a distinct childhood memory of my own, too. And also only our first house. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-favorite-smells/744026/67 "2016-01-24T21:54:25Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > I may be the only person on earth who finds the smell of skunk to be rather enjoyable. > > Closer to mainstream, I absolutely love the smell of a freshly-mown lawn. > [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I like it. Me, too. Now, not when it has sprayed in your dog’s face and the smell permeates every square inch of the universe inside your house. But on the highway, when a skunk has gone to his/her eternal reward…it’s a strong smell but not unpleasant. It’s like all the garlic in the world. Maybe Gilroy, CA smells like that at harvest time. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-favorite-smells/744026/68 "2016-01-24T22:11:30Z")
Traditional hardware stores - it’s a blend of smells including burlap, bonemeal, machine oil, pyrethroid pesticides, wooden cabinets, galvanised bolts, waxed paper and wheat grain. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-favorite-smells/744026/69 "2016-01-24T23:33:06Z")
My two favorite smells are tomato plants and cider vinegar, because they remind me of my mother and grandmother, respectively. Those probably aren’t too odd. Next, though, is hot electrical wiring. When I was a kid, my grandfather on the other side had a homemade train layout in his basement that always smelled like that. ---
**Author:** ![Mattie\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71c47a/32.png) [@Mattie\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mattie_Blue)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-favorite-smells/744026/70 "2016-01-24T23:47:52Z")
> [@Tinker\_Grey](#): > > Cow manure on farms in South Central PA. My dad was a farmer. In winter he would come in the house after feeding cattle wearing his Carrhart coveralls [http://carhartt.com/products/carhartt-men-bibs-coveralls-overalls/Duck-Coverall-Quilt-Lined-X01](http://carhartt.com/products/carhartt-men-bibs-coveralls-overalls/Duck-Coverall-Quilt-Lined-X01) smelling of cold, Winston cigarettes and cow manure. It was such a comforting smell. I love burying my nose in the warm fur of a cat that has been sitting in the sun. ---
**Author:** ![scootergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@scootergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scootergirl)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-favorite-smells/744026/71 "2016-01-24T23:49:55Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > I may be the only person on earth who finds the smell of skunk to be rather enjoyable. > > Closer to mainstream, I absolutely love the smell of a freshly-mown lawn. No, you are not. My dear friend Loki loves the smell of skunk. She lives in a rural area where skunks routinely end up orphans. The mother gets hit by a vehicle and it leaves her litter wandering around aimlessly near the road. Somehow, she spots these situations often, and has raised litters of kits often. I like the smell of the inside of an **unworn** original Converse tennis shoe. No other brand will do. I know, I’m a weird pup. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-favorite-smells/744026/72 "2016-01-24T23:53:33Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > I forgot one too - used book stores. That’s one of mine too. This is my favorite drug to smell: > **[Midrin (Acetaminophen, Isometheptene and Dichloralphenazone): Side Effects,...](https://www.rxlist.com/midrin-drug.htm)** > > Midrin (Acetaminophen, Isometheptene and Dichloralphenazone) may treat, side effects, dosage, drug interactions, warnings, patient labeling, reviews, and related medications including drug comparison and health resources. I couldn’t imagine having to swallow one of those horse pills while in the throes of a migraine, however. Abbott Pharmaceuticals puts out pleasant-smelling tablets. The most commonly dispensed, in my experience, have been Ery-Tab and Biaxin. Just wish Biaxin Suspension tasted as good as it smells (unfortunately, it doesn’t). ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-favorite-smells/744026/73 "2016-01-24T23:57:44Z")
I was getting ready to say vinegar. Love that sinus-clearing smell especially if the vinegar is being heated, like for making pickles. I also love the smell of anything tobacco: pipe smoke, cigar smoke, the smell of loose tobacco falling out of a cigarette, anything. I quit smoking a long time ago but I still love those smells. ---
**Author:** ![Personal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Personal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Personal)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-favorite-smells/744026/74 "2016-01-24T23:59:19Z")
Cumin, mothballs, Earl Grey tea, freshly opened cassette tapes, used bookstore/library stacks. For freshly mown lawn, the GAP used to sell a scent called Grass. I loved it, but it was discontinued in the late 90s and I can’t find anything similar anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![SandyHook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-favorite-smells/744026/75 "2016-01-25T00:48:26Z")
The smell of feedlots. Yep, cow doody. Not in massive amounts, you know the ones that make you swerve all over the road as you pass by. But the mild whiff. Both my grandparents had farms in Kentucky and it reminds me of being there. ---
**Author:** ![TheLadyMage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@TheLadyMage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLadyMage)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-favorite-smells/744026/76 "2016-01-25T00:51:40Z")
Barn odors like horse manure, sawdust, etc. I also like the smell of gunpowder but that’s mostly a side effect of my job. It tastes interesting too, kinda like salt. ---
**Author:** ![scootergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@scootergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scootergirl)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-favorite-smells/744026/77 "2016-01-25T01:21:46Z")
I thought of one more. The smell in a butcher shop. It’s so…primal. I remember going into our neighborhood butcher shop in Lima when I was a kid. They sold a lot of chicken. There was something about the smell in there that I really liked. I would find excuses to remain in the store longer while I was secretly taking in the aroma of raw meat. My grandmother would be saying, “Felita, Felita, vamonos, chiquita!” And I would respond with, “Un momentito , abuelita.” All while asking: what is that? And how about this? With my sweetest innocent face so I could get in that one last scent of meat. Poor woman. Some childhood memories are quite strange, no? (_Felita_ was a childhood nickname derived from my real name) ---
**Author:** ![Oddball\_92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b3f665/32.png) [@Oddball\_92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oddball_92)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-favorite-smells/744026/78 "2016-01-25T02:46:02Z")
Leaves burning in the Fall. Aromatic cedar. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-favorite-smells/744026/79 "2016-01-25T03:17:51Z")
Oh yes! Tomato plant leaves. And geranium leaves, too. Not a flowery smell at all–quite sharp and acrid. ---
**Author:** ![Jane\_Elliot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jane_elliot/32/6166_2.png) [@Jane\_Elliot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jane_Elliot)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-favorite-smells/744026/80 "2016-01-25T03:27:42Z")
Tomato plant greens. The inside of my grandmother’s china cabinet (which is now in my house). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-favorite-smells/744026.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-traditional-favorite-smells/744026.md?page=5)