# Old Lady Smell-DEFINED **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 11, 2005, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-smell-defined/298867 "2005-04-11T23:19:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Q.N.Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/3da27b/32.png) [@Q.N.Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.N.Jones)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-smell-defined/298867/21 "2005-04-12T14:14:24Z")
A related phenomenon is the “old people’s house” smell. My grandparents had this bad. I finally figured out that it was because they never, ever opened the windows for fear a slight chill would bring on fatal pneumonia. The smell of ointment and Shower-to-Shower built up in there until it was positively suffocating. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-smell-defined/298867/22 "2005-04-12T18:07:47Z")
My nanny (great-grandma) used to wear this terrible perfume called Youth Dew. That’s what old lady smell is. I just remember that the perfume was a brown color in a clear bottle. Ick. And the funny thing is that this cashier at the grocery store I frequent wears that same perfume, but she’s not an old lady. I can’t be the one, but someone should tell her she reeks of Au De Grandma. ---
**Author:** ![velvetjones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f9b8f/32.png) [@velvetjones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velvetjones)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-smell-defined/298867/23 "2005-04-12T18:20:23Z")
Please…it can’t be Chanel No. 5…I wear that sometimes (when my Dolce Vita is running out)…I’m only 44…I’m not ready for the old lady smell yet No, no, no, no, no! ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/soul_brother_number_two/32/3515_2.png) [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul_Brother_Number_Two)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-smell-defined/298867/24 "2005-04-12T18:23:09Z")
That “old lady house” smell, is, and I 've only heard this, at least partially because of the skin cells aforementioned old ladies must sweep up by the bucketful. Plus body powder, Jergens, Shalimar, et al. Hmm. I wonder where to look for a yea or nay about that… Shalimar is an old lady perfume, innit? So is Joy. My Aunt Vicki poured that shit over herself by the ladleful. ---
**Author:** ![Ashes\_Ashes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/db5fbb/32.png) [@Ashes\_Ashes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashes_Ashes)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-smell-defined/298867/25 "2005-04-12T18:25:50Z")
> [@Q.N. Jones](#): > > A related phenomenon is the “old people’s house” smell. My grandparents had this bad. I finally figured out that it was because they never, ever opened the windows for fear a slight chill would bring on fatal pneumonia. The smell of ointment and Shower-to-Shower built up in there until it was positively suffocating. I discovered the main ingredients to my grandparent’s house smell was boiling potatoes and Murphy’s Oil soap. None of my grandparents had a smell, unless you count Grandma’s cigarettes, which I won’t until they make a perfume out of it. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-smell-defined/298867/26 "2005-04-12T18:44:01Z")
My grandmother smells of perfume and baby powder (then again, she’s pretty young for a grandmother). Not Chanel, though–some other kind. We’d have to do a poll or survey and see… ---
**Author:** ![look\_hergo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85e7bf/32.png) [@look\_hergo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/look_hergo)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-smell-defined/298867/27 "2005-04-12T23:04:15Z")
What do little old ladies smell like? . . . . Depends tm 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMule](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc348/32.png) [@MonkeyMule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMule)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-smell-defined/298867/28 "2005-04-12T23:36:06Z")
Well [bvelvet\*\* I hate to be the one to tell you, but Chanel is indeed a part of the old lady smell. Go smell a nice fresh bottle of Ol’ Number five, then sniff any old ladies wondering around Sephora. Trust me, there is no way to deny the truth. I defy you to randomly sniff old ladies and tell me its not true! ---
**Author:** ![maddog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@maddog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maddog)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-smell-defined/298867/29 "2005-04-12T23:42:53Z")
Shalimar? Joy? Chanel? Wow, your grandmas are pretty with it. In England the old lady staple was a very old-fashioned perfume, or cologne, called 4/7/11. You could get little handbag sachets, too, to freshen up when you had a bit of a ‘glow’ on. I’m sure they’re a bit more modern than that now, however. I am sort of going back a few years here. ---
**Author:** ![SusanStoHelit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@SusanStoHelit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SusanStoHelit)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-smell-defined/298867/30 "2005-04-12T23:54:49Z")
A lot of LOLs have a hard time showering. That, combined with a LOL’s tendancy to turn the heat waaay up, makes unwashed body a big part of The Smell. The LOLs I meet (my pharmacy services Assisted Living Facilities and nursing homes, so I know plenty) also tend to go for the rose- or musk-scented purfumes. Also denture odor. ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-smell-defined/298867/31 "2005-04-13T00:14:51Z")
> [@saramamalana](#): > > Don’t forget the mothballs. Totally key. I was an adult before I figured out that moth balls had their own smell independent of old ladies. To this day, every time I smell moth balls, I think of my grandma. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-smell-defined/298867/32 "2005-04-13T01:25:02Z")
> [@maddog](#): > > In England the old lady staple was a very old-fashioned perfume, or cologne, called 4/7/11. Heh. I love that stuff. It reminds me of when I was 17, and wore it all one summer, when I was dating this cute ‘older’ guy (23!) and we… No old lady connotations for me there! Now my late mother wore Tabu, and only Tabu, so that and cigarette smoke brings to mind “eau de mother” (age 63). ---
**Author:** ![Fionn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fionn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fionn)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-smell-defined/298867/33 "2005-04-13T03:48:40Z")
> [@Indygrrl](#): > > My nanny (great-grandma) used to wear this terrible perfume called Youth Dew. That’s what old lady smell is. I just remember that the perfume was a brown color in a clear bottle. Ick. My grandmother used to wear this too! I miss my grandma. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-smell-defined/298867.md?page=1)