# Odd smells you love. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 17, 2006, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-smells-you-love/340436 "2006-01-17T23:46:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-smells-you-love/340436/41 "2006-01-18T12:50:08Z")
> [@](#): > > I love, love LOVE the smell of horses. That mixture of sweat , leather, hay & manure. It is my favorite smell in the world. Me too!!!111!!!OMFG! heeee One smell that has been my favorite and will probably get me arrested one day is …you know flip flop sandals that have a thick foamie base.? Yesteryear, those smells faintly fruity and I just _loved_ smelling my flip flops. I’ve discovered that sometimes Old Navy has shoes with that smell…oooooooooohhhhhhh. If I ever find a pair again I am buying them just to sniff. I also like to smell the gum in the impulse section while waiting in line. That always gets a few :dubious: . And, since the hurricanes a couple of years ago have decimated the citrus production in florida, I have lamented, as one of my favorite rituals is sticking my face down into a display of Big Naval Oranges and inhaling deeply. AHHHHHHHHHH. Apple blossoms in the spring. It isn’t all trees ( usually crab variety) but that smell brings back my childhood like a brick to the head. ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-smells-you-love/340436/42 "2006-01-18T13:00:56Z")
> [@fetus](#): > > Not to hijack, but is that working out well for you? I’ve been thinking about getting myself some. My scalp is less itchy since I started using the Neutro with coal tar. I wash my hair everyday so I don’t usually see flakes anyway – but scratchies are better. ---
**Author:** ![Thirty-Nine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f0a364/32.png) [@Thirty-Nine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thirty-Nine)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-smells-you-love/340436/43 "2006-01-18T13:01:25Z")
My skin starts to give off this really nice smell when I’m standing in strong sun. I think it’s more than just hot skin, because I smell it when I’m skiing in the sun but my face is still freezing. It smells a bit like moisturizer, although I never put anything on my face. Additionally, I also love the smell of multi-story car parks, humidity, neoprene and diesel (perhaps not as strange as I thought, looking at this thread). ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-smells-you-love/340436/44 "2006-01-18T13:55:02Z")
Mmm…I love the smell of new tires. ---
**Author:** ![initech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/439d5e/32.png) [@initech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/initech)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-smells-you-love/340436/45 "2006-01-18T14:11:41Z")
- Old broadcasting equipment. Must be the vacuum tubes, 'cause the stuff I’m around these days doesn’t have the same mojo. - Stale, overwarmed coffee - Another vote for hot asphalt. Reminds me of amusement parks - Bleach ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-smells-you-love/340436/46 "2006-01-18T15:18:44Z")
Horse manure and skunk are both great smells in the right situation: gently wafting through a balmy breeze. Skunk is the smell of the summer evenings of childhood, horse manure of a green spring day. Just a hint floating in the air. Not face-first in it, not a direct hit with skunk spray. It’s almost just a memory of the scent. I also love the smells of wet dog and puppy breath. ---
**Author:** ![Grossbottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ba8739/32.png) [@Grossbottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grossbottom)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-smells-you-love/340436/47 "2006-01-18T15:33:43Z")
Sulfa lotion, the topical application has this smell…it’s divine, like calomine lotion on steroids. Puppies, particularly labrador puppies, have a good smell to them. PlayDoh, a can of which resides in my desk drawer. I take ‘hits’ off it when I’m stressed. Bleach. Warm clothes fresh out of the dryer. ---
**Author:** ![Greywolf73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d9b06d/32.png) [@Greywolf73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greywolf73)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-smells-you-love/340436/48 "2006-01-18T15:41:29Z")
> [@PapSett](#): > > I love, love LOVE the smell of horses. That mixture of sweat , leather, hay & manure. It is my favorite smell in the world. > > I also don’t mind the smell of skunk , in small doses. Well, we are obviously cut from the same cloth because these are the two smells I came into this thread to specifically mention. I don’t mind the smell of skunk as long as it’s very, very VERY faint and very far away. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-smells-you-love/340436/49 "2006-01-18T15:47:10Z")
OOO, smells. I love the smell of jet fuel, leaded gas, and racing fuel. The stink of steel mills. It smells like prosperity! That sweetgrass smell while out on a ride in the country. The smell of coca cola (w/ real sugar) as it fizzes when you pour it into a tall glass w/ ice. Oil of Olay. Reminds me of my grandmother. Faint smell of mothballs. Also reminds me of grandma. Leather. I love walking into leather stores and taking a big whiff. Freshly cut beef. I guess I just love dead cows! The smells of some BBQ ribs on the grill. Freshly squeezed orange juice. That new car smell of all the various materials outgassing. The way my wife smells about halfway through the day. That wet dusty smell during the first moments of a rainshower. There’s plenty more but I’m going to stop there. I’m hearing impaired AND wear glasses, so my sense of smell is quite acute. I often drive ppl crazy when I smell the slightest concentration of something and they have no idea what i’m talking about. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-smells-you-love/340436/50 "2006-01-18T15:56:15Z")
> [@C3](#): > > …the loose powder I put on my face in the morning… Mmmmm…I _love_ that smell. My wife has gotten used to me sniffing her face as she puts on her makeup. Also, coffee. Not odd in and of itself, but keep in mind that I absolutely loathe the taste of the stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Alias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-smells-you-love/340436/51 "2006-01-18T16:02:22Z")
Horses- I love horses, so the smell of them doesn’t bother me. It’s just part of the whole horse experience. Gasoline- I don’t know why, but I used to breathe deeply whenever we went to the gas station. I loved the smell. The odd thing is that my daughter now does the same thing. Weird. Machine oil- My grandfather always smelled like machine oil before he retired. The smell of it is pleasant to me, and reminds me of him. Babies- You know that smell of brand new baby skin? Honestly the best smell in the whole world. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-smells-you-love/340436/52 "2006-01-18T16:27:05Z")
Question re babies. Is it the actual baby you’re smelling, or hints of what is put _on_ the baby to cleanse, powder, lotion it etc.? I like smelling: • a laundry-starched shirt, extra stiff • fresh lumber in an unfinished room or house • ditto concrete on a new road • woodsmoke • Colorforms • cocoa butter •(TMI?) the inside of my watchband ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-smells-you-love/340436/53 "2006-01-18T16:36:06Z")
> [@Beware of Doug](#): > > •(TMI?) the inside of my watchband Hey, me too. And in a similar vein - 52 posts and no-one has mentioned the smell of your own farts? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-smells-you-love/340436/54 "2006-01-18T16:41:57Z")
> [@Ruby](#): > > There is NOTHING like the smell of a brand new box of Crayola crayons. > > \ > > Cheap imitations will not do. Only the original Crayola brand. > > Oh, and PlayDoh. I love the smell of it as well as the taste of it on my tongue. I don’t eat the stuff, mind you, but the sensation it gives when you put your tongue on it is very cool. Mmmmm…I love both of these. Especially melted crayons. New shoes smell fabulous. Not so much once the feet have moved in. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-smells-you-love/340436/55 "2006-01-18T16:54:06Z")
Gojo. The original kind - not the lemon stuff. Leaves burning. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-smells-you-love/340436/56 "2006-01-18T16:57:50Z")
> [@Beware of Doug](#): > > Question re babies. Is it the actual baby you’re smelling, or hints of what is put _on_ the baby to cleanse, powder, lotion it etc.? It’s the actual baby. This is the best smell on Earth. Someone on these boards said there’s actually a perfume reminiscent of new baby smell. If I find it, I’m buyin’ it. Of course, complete strangers willl probably talk gibberish to me and pinch my cheeks. ---
**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:** [January 18, 2006, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-smells-you-love/340436/57 "2006-01-18T17:19:43Z")
Freshly laid asphalt (reminds me of when I worked on a paving crew) Mothballs (reminds me of giving my grandma a hug) Driving into downtown Milwaukee from the west just after passing the stadium. Not sure if it’s the Miller Brewery or the RedStar Yeast factory but it smells great. Going to work in the morning next to the NOVARTIS plant where they make chocolate Ovaltine. Smells like I’m working next to the Wonka factory. ---
**Author:** ![vertizontal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ad7895/32.png) [@vertizontal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vertizontal)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-smells-you-love/340436/58 "2006-01-18T18:17:58Z")
The aroma of a freshly opened plastic can of 35mm film. ---
**Author:** ![Available\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@Available\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Available_Jones)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-smells-you-love/340436/59 "2006-01-18T18:37:15Z")
Not so odd: the ozone-charged air after a good rainstorm, brand new leather, my favorite Spanish restaurant. Rather odd: WD40. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-smells-you-love/340436/60 "2006-01-18T18:39:03Z")
> [@betenoir](#): > > What does atrophied skin even smell like?? Wear a tight cast for a few weeks, take it off and then you’ll know. I found this odd love while recovering from a basketball wrist injury in middle school. I too like the smell of vinegar, but only because it makes me think of Salt and Vinegar chips. > [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > Big Naval Oranges Ah, I know the ones you’re talking about. I think my dad was stationed on one of those in the Mediterranean for a few years. 😃 > [@Dorjän](#): > > Leather. I love walking into leather stores and taking a big whiff. Me too! This is one of the great fringe benefits of owning a leather jacket. > [@Beware of Doug](#): > > the inside of my watchband I used to, also…and then I went and ruined it in basic training in San Antonio. I saturated the thing with sweat and now it’s nasty; I keep washing it with soap and I’ve gotten most of the smell out but it’s still there a little bit. Here’s another entry: Driving by In-N-Out on the way to the 8. Really makes my day! I’m thinking of driving over there right now and getting myself a burger, actually. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-smells-you-love/340436.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-smells-you-love/340436.md?page=4)