# This vase smells funny. Guess the odor. Part 1 of a story. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 13, 2008, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-vase-smells-funny-guess-the-odor-part-1-of-a-story/456291 "2008-07-13T01:45:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-vase-smells-funny-guess-the-odor-part-1-of-a-story/456291/1 "2008-07-13T01:45:32Z")
Today, **nashitashii, Acid Lamp** , and I took a walk down posh main street Winter Park, FL. After a delicious Turkish lunch, we popped into an art gallery. This gallery specialized in SE Asian art. Buddha heads, woodcarvings of leopards and birds, various pottery of all sizes, it was a pretty cool exhibit. The curator was an old, wizened Asian man. He was nice enough, but I think he was put-off by **Acid Lamp’s** extensive knowledge of some of the pieces. Not many people from Winter Park know anything about their own country, let alone art from halfway around the world. I was keeping myself busy, having fun. **Acid** and the curator had a five minute discussion of a model of a Sumatran spirit house that I couldn’t follow. Then it was carving technique. Eventually I got a little bored. So, while they were shootin’ the shit about what metal an antique lantern was made of, I spotted a tall vase in the middle of the cluttered room. It was slightly convex and came up to my waist. There was nothing inside except darkness. I was bored, so I decided to stick my snooter inside a little. It possessed quite a strange smell. Most unusual for a vase. That’s when the fun began. So, guess the smell, and when you get it right I’ll continue the story 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-vase-smells-funny-guess-the-odor-part-1-of-a-story/456291/2 "2008-07-13T01:48:06Z")
What, this was a mini OrlanDope and I wasn’t invited? Hmmmph. I’m thinking the vase had some sort of decaying animal that had fallen in and couldn’t get out. ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-vase-smells-funny-guess-the-odor-part-1-of-a-story/456291/3 "2008-07-13T01:49:33Z")
This was quite a funny but smelly smell of something smelly. If you guys want a hint, I’ll let you in on one: the smell could be mistaken for other smells, which use similar products for different treatments. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-vase-smells-funny-guess-the-odor-part-1-of-a-story/456291/4 "2008-07-13T02:27:34Z")
Hmm. DMSO? Semen? Febreeze? Coriander? Pee? Fish sauce? ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-vase-smells-funny-guess-the-odor-part-1-of-a-story/456291/5 "2008-07-13T02:31:50Z")
[QUOTE=capybara] Hmm. DMSO? Semen? Febreeze? Coriander? Pee? Fish sauce? [/QUOTE] None of the above. It truly was a unique, unmistakable and completely unexpected aroma. ---
**Author:** ![Tabula\_Rasa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@Tabula\_Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabula_Rasa)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-vase-smells-funny-guess-the-odor-part-1-of-a-story/456291/6 "2008-07-13T02:32:43Z")
Marijuana? Opium? Budweiser? ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-vase-smells-funny-guess-the-odor-part-1-of-a-story/456291/7 "2008-07-13T02:37:58Z")
[QUOTE=nashiitashii] the smell could be mistaken for other smells… [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Acid Lamp] It truly was a unique, unmistakable… aroma. [/QUOTE] One of these things is not like the other. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Tabula\_Rasa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@Tabula\_Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabula_Rasa)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-vase-smells-funny-guess-the-odor-part-1-of-a-story/456291/8 "2008-07-13T02:39:54Z")
kim-chee? ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-vase-smells-funny-guess-the-odor-part-1-of-a-story/456291/9 "2008-07-13T02:40:04Z")
[QUOTE=Santo Rugger] One of these things is not like the other. 😛 [/QUOTE] It’s a unique smell, but at the same time, there are lots of different things that smell like it that all use the same process. You’ll understand when someone guesses it correctly and [del]we[/del] **Auto** finishes telling you the story. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-vase-smells-funny-guess-the-odor-part-1-of-a-story/456291/10 "2008-07-13T02:43:12Z")
Dirty feet? Tea tree oil? (which, to me, at least, smells like dirt) Rotten eggs? ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-vase-smells-funny-guess-the-odor-part-1-of-a-story/456291/11 "2008-07-13T02:45:37Z")
Urine/ammonia? ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-vase-smells-funny-guess-the-odor-part-1-of-a-story/456291/12 "2008-07-13T02:45:53Z")
Nope. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-vase-smells-funny-guess-the-odor-part-1-of-a-story/456291/13 "2008-07-13T02:47:11Z")
Bengay? ---
**Author:** ![Tabula\_Rasa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@Tabula\_Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabula_Rasa)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-vase-smells-funny-guess-the-odor-part-1-of-a-story/456291/14 "2008-07-13T02:50:13Z")
[QUOTE=nashiitashii] It’s a unique smell, but at the same time, there are lots of different things that smell like it that all use the same process. You’ll understand when someone guesses it correctly and [del]we[/del] **Auto** finishes telling you the story. [/QUOTE] Hmmm, a product/process kind of a smell. hair bleach? Nair? that special electroplating smell? acetone? human shit? (similar in fragrance to the shit of many other species who also engage in digestion) ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-vase-smells-funny-guess-the-odor-part-1-of-a-story/456291/15 "2008-07-13T02:52:49Z")
A ladle. ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-vase-smells-funny-guess-the-odor-part-1-of-a-story/456291/16 "2008-07-13T02:54:33Z")
Nobody has guessed correctly yet. Keep guessing! ---
**Author:** ![Lavender\_Falcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b782af/32.png) [@Lavender\_Falcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lavender_Falcon)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-vase-smells-funny-guess-the-odor-part-1-of-a-story/456291/17 "2008-07-13T02:57:45Z")
[QUOTE=nashiitashii] It’s a unique smell, but at the same time, there are lots of different things that smell like it that all use the same process. [/QUOTE] Hmmm. A smell that results from a process. Did it have a yeasty or fermented smell, like bread, vinegar, wine, or beer? ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-vase-smells-funny-guess-the-odor-part-1-of-a-story/456291/18 "2008-07-13T02:59:42Z")
[QUOTE=nashiitashii] It’s a unique smell, but at the same time, there are lots of different things that smell like it that all use the same process. [/quote] I’m sorry, I keep reading this and I can’t understand it. You’re saying that lots of smells smell like the vase smell? I think I need to go lie down. ---
**Author:** ![Tabula\_Rasa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@Tabula\_Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabula_Rasa)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-vase-smells-funny-guess-the-odor-part-1-of-a-story/456291/19 "2008-07-13T03:25:02Z")
Pickling? Something was being preserved in a brine? ---
**Author:** ![LadyMack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4491bb/32.png) [@LadyMack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LadyMack)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-vase-smells-funny-guess-the-odor-part-1-of-a-story/456291/20 "2008-07-13T03:40:55Z")
Leather? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-vase-smells-funny-guess-the-odor-part-1-of-a-story/456291.md?page=2)