# The crunchy noise snails make when you step on 'em. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 3, 2003, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crunchy-noise-snails-make-when-you-step-on-em/172817 "2003-05-03T06:00:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crunchy-noise-snails-make-when-you-step-on-em/172817/1 "2003-05-03T06:00:27Z")
Here in Monterey we’re having an uncommonly warm, balmy slightly drizzly night. There are snails all over! I keep picking them up & tossing 'em back in the foliage but I still keep stepping on 'em. Ick. Gross. Ew. Ish! I hate that noise they make when you step on 'em. A crunch schmoosh noise. Yuuuck. Can I eat these little buggers? Those nasty French eat 'em. Can I? ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crunchy-noise-snails-make-when-you-step-on-em/172817/2 "2003-05-03T06:17:52Z")
True story. When I first moved to California, I met a lot of high powered folks and they were in a conversation about “escrow”. Misunderstanding, and being suave, I said, “Isn’t that a fancy name for snails?” A little information is dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![Sionach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Sionach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sionach)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crunchy-noise-snails-make-when-you-step-on-em/172817/3 "2003-05-03T06:20:24Z")
If you want to eat your garden snails, you need to collect 'em and feed them on cornmeal & water for a while to clean out their systems. This is according to my grandmother who I asked that same question of when I was in elementary school and fascinated with the bazillions of snails inhabiting her garden. BTW, I’ve always been told that the reason we have snails in North America is because the French brought 'em over and some of the snails **escaped**! Of course, this is purely anecdotal and no, I don’t have a cite. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crunchy-noise-snails-make-when-you-step-on-em/172817/4 "2003-05-03T06:41:32Z")
Finally, a really good reason to hate the French. Snails. \ Icky, nasty things. Where’s my salt shaker? ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crunchy-noise-snails-make-when-you-step-on-em/172817/5 "2003-05-03T06:44:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sionach \* > **If you want to eat your garden snails, you need to collect 'em and feed them on cornmeal & water for a while to clean out their systems.** So we’re talking an aquarium type thing or what? How long do you need to keep them on their diet? > [@](#): > > \*\*BTW, I’ve always been told that the reason we have snails in North America is because the French brought 'em over and some of the snails **escaped**! Of course, this is purely anecdotal and no, I don’t have a cite. 😉 \*\* Well I’m not normally a cite hound. If the French did it, I’m willing to believe it. ---
**Author:** ![hebesphenomegacorona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b9e5f3/32.png) [@hebesphenomegacorona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hebesphenomegacorona)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crunchy-noise-snails-make-when-you-step-on-em/172817/6 "2003-05-03T12:52:23Z")
Well, the noise you get when you jump on the Car snail thing in Contra is “oooooowwwww!!!” or KABLOOEY! ---
**Author:** ![Margo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Margo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Margo)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crunchy-noise-snails-make-when-you-step-on-em/172817/7 "2003-05-03T13:29:57Z")
Someone once told us to put snails in a plate of beer, they get drunk…ummmm…no it sort of looked like the beer was like acid on their poor slimy writhing bodies… We are having the same trouble with caterpillars…they are everywhere and then make an unpleasant _pop_ sound, because if you step just right you force their body contents out of their heads…icky bloody little corpses are littering our sidewalk… Margo ---
**Author:** ![Sionach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Sionach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sionach)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crunchy-noise-snails-make-when-you-step-on-em/172817/8 "2003-05-03T18:59:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by levdrakon \* > **So we’re talking an aquarium type thing or what? How long do you need to keep them on their diet?** Yah, an aquarium would be perfect; just keep it covered so they don’t get out, and well ventilated so they don’t cook. I’m not sure of an exact time frame for getting them “clean” but I’d imagine if their poop starts looking like cornmeal, they’re probably getting there. 😉