# Smells, Aromas and Odors You Miss

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smells-aromas-and-odors-you-miss/531172
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [March 3, 2010, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smells-aromas-and-odors-you-miss/531172 "2010-03-03T20:09:16Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2010, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smells-aromas-and-odors-you-miss/531172/1 "2010-03-03T20:09:16Z")

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That reddish sweeping compound they used on the floors in school when I was in grammar school

New blue jeans the first day of school  
Too much chlorine in the city pool  
Burning leaves in the fall  
Cotton candy  
Hair tonic  
Mentholatum

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### Author: ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2010, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smells-aromas-and-odors-you-miss/531172/2 "2010-03-03T20:11:22Z")

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Post-rain Oregon in the fall.

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### Author: ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2010, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smells-aromas-and-odors-you-miss/531172/3 "2010-03-03T20:11:45Z")

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New car smell.

Haven’t smelled that in far too long. ☹

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### Author: ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2010, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smells-aromas-and-odors-you-miss/531172/4 "2010-03-03T20:17:37Z")

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Fresh-cut grass. While I do get something close when hay’s cut around here, it’s not often enough to make up for that sharp, pure chlorophyll smell.

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### Author: ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2010, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smells-aromas-and-odors-you-miss/531172/5 "2010-03-03T20:28:44Z")

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Puppy breath

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### Author: ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2010, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smells-aromas-and-odors-you-miss/531172/6 "2010-03-03T20:38:43Z")

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\<Ross\> You know that smell gas has?\<Ross\>

I don’t know if there are different additives in today’s gasoline or if it was because I was smelling it from the \*inside \*of the car, but as a kid I used to love the smell when we’d get the car gassed up.

Ralph Lauren perfume. It was very popular when I was in middle school (late '70s)and then just kind of fell out of favor. I was so excited to see it at Ross or whatever discount store but it seems to have changed:(

Skunk, believe it or not.

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### Author: ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2010, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smells-aromas-and-odors-you-miss/531172/7 "2010-03-03T20:50:52Z")

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I miss the smell of the perfume I used to wear. I work in tiny cubicle land, so I don’t wear it to the office because it would conflict with the god-only-knows-what the woman across the aisle from me bathes in. But sadly for me, when I don’t put it on in the morning, I don’t remember to put it on at all.  
I miss fresh air even more.

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### Author: ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2010, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smells-aromas-and-odors-you-miss/531172/8 "2010-03-03T20:54:03Z")

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The first whiff of the ground beans when you opened (via can opener) a coffee can.

Somebody else’s first puff off a Winston.

That thing that duplicated in purple (tests in grade school). (Not mimeograph, I have been told.)

The way my grandmother smelled.

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### Author: ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2010, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smells-aromas-and-odors-you-miss/531172/9 "2010-03-03T20:54:38Z")

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> [@WOOKINPANUB](#):
>
> \<Ross\> You know that smell gas has?\<Ross\>
> 
> I don’t know if there are different additives in today’s gasoline or if it was because I was smelling it from the \*inside \*of the car, but as a kid I used to love the smell when we’d get the car gassed up.

IIRC the absence of gasoline smell today isn’t due to additives, but to better pump nozzles that stop the escape of vaporized gasoline.

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### Author: ![Amara\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7993a0/32.png) [@Amara\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amara_1)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2010, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smells-aromas-and-odors-you-miss/531172/10 "2010-03-03T20:55:00Z")

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Guava tree when the guavas are ripe.

My mom’s baked lamb on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

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### Author: ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2010, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smells-aromas-and-odors-you-miss/531172/11 "2010-03-03T20:57:45Z")

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> [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](#):
>
> I miss the smell of the perfume I used to wear. I work in tiny cubicle land, so I don’t wear it to the office because it would conflict with the god-only-knows-what the woman across the aisle from me bathes in. But sadly for me, when I don’t put it on in the morning, I don’t remember to put it on at all.  
> I miss fresh air even more.

Please allow me to mention there was a woman at work who must have had no sense of smell so that her perfume would beat her into the building by up to 20 seconds. My buddy, a bit more outspoken than I at the time, said things to her like:

“Nice perfume. Got any left?”  
“How did you put on your perfume today? With a mop?”

It was sickeningly sweet, too.

They could dump it all and stay with White Shoulders if they only had me to please.

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### Author: ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2010, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smells-aromas-and-odors-you-miss/531172/12 "2010-03-03T21:01:38Z")

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Mimeograph fluid on the copies that the teacher passed out in grade school. Remember that scene in Fast Times at Ridgemont High when Mr. Hand passes something out and the entire classroom sniffs the paper? I giggle every time I see that because I know that most people under 35 have no idea why those students are huffing their papers.

My dad used to race motorcycles and took us to races every single weekend until I was ten. I still love and miss the sound of gasoline and oil and the sound of revving engines. Makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up when I smell and hear that.

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### Author: ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2010, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smells-aromas-and-odors-you-miss/531172/13 "2010-03-03T21:05:57Z")

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> [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](#):
>
> That thing that duplicated in purple (tests in grade school). (Not mimeograph, I have been told.)

I had to google it, but I just learned those were called “Spirit Duplicators.” Teachers referred to them as “dittos.” If you were the smartypants asskisser in the class, the teacher might hand you the master and send you to the office to “run some dittos” for her or him.

Ignorance fought.

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### Author: ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2010, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smells-aromas-and-odors-you-miss/531172/14 "2010-03-03T21:15:56Z")

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This guy I used to know in college would say he misses the…

_Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air_

😉

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### Author: ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2010, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smells-aromas-and-odors-you-miss/531172/15 "2010-03-03T21:17:36Z")

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I miss the smell of the horse feed store across the street from where I lived when I was aged 2 -5. And, no, I’m not Laura Ingalls. Anyway, I guess it was oats and the store was owned by a really old man from church.

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### Author: ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2010, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smells-aromas-and-odors-you-miss/531172/16 "2010-03-03T21:28:00Z")

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The smell of clove cigarettes (kretak) in the air at a Gamelan performance in Bali or Java.

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### Author: ![Carl\_Corey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Carl\_Corey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carl_Corey)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2010, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smells-aromas-and-odors-you-miss/531172/17 "2010-03-03T21:45:50Z")

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The smell of the sea. Salt air. Love it, miss it.

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### Author: ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2010, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smells-aromas-and-odors-you-miss/531172/18 "2010-03-03T21:52:18Z")

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> [@garygnu](#):
>
> Post-rain Oregon in the fall.

It’s been way to long since I’ve breathed in the smell of the desert after it rains, not to mention the smell of a pinyon and juniper campfire.

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### Author: ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2010, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smells-aromas-and-odors-you-miss/531172/19 "2010-03-03T21:53:19Z")

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Burning marshmallows on a campfire.

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### Author: ![Rafe\_Hollister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@Rafe\_Hollister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rafe_Hollister)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2010, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smells-aromas-and-odors-you-miss/531172/20 "2010-03-03T22:12:22Z")

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Walking into the apartment building on the 500 block of Monroe Street in Springfield, IL, just North of the Capital Building, and smelling Aunt Lucy’s cooking from the 3rd floor. We used to go there every few months when I was in elementary school. Best. Apple. Pie. Ever.

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