# Very strange poll for men **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 10, 2008, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-strange-poll-for-men/467330 "2008-10-10T15:40:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-strange-poll-for-men/467330/81 "2008-10-11T14:54:44Z")
> [@Litoris](#): > > Ok, help me figure out if this is just one of those weird things that only a handful of people know about or not. Anyone who knows why I am asking, please do not spoil it and tell, just answer the questions, I will 'splain later: > > 1. Age > 2. state/region/country from which you hail > 3. ethnicity (yes, this is important to the poll for a change) > 4. would you eat spaghetti made “especially for” you by a woman not related to you? > 5. spoiler why not, if the answer is no 1. 41 2. Washington DC 3. Whitebread Caucasian (Norman Irish) 4. Yes providing nothing about her creeps me out. ---
**Author:** ![JpnDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@JpnDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JpnDude)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-strange-poll-for-men/467330/82 "2008-10-11T15:22:30Z")
1. 35 2. Southern California 3. Caucasian (Latino) 4. Yes 5. If I had a special order at a restaurant. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-strange-poll-for-men/467330/83 "2008-10-11T16:12:10Z")
**1) Age** 40 **2) state/region/country from which you hail** See location **3) ethnicity (yes, this is important to the poll for a change)** White (garden variety Scots-Irish-German ancestry) \*\*4) would you eat spaghetti made “especially for” you by a woman not related to you? \*\* Outside of a girlfriend, probably not **5) spoiler why not, if the answer is no** Two reasons: First, I don’t generally eat food prepared by strangers and casual acquaintances, particularly if it’s “especially for me.” Second, I once heard a ridiculous story that a woman could make a “love potion” by adding her menstrual blood to tomato sauce. If I’ve heard it, chances are she’s heard it, too. No, I’m not kidding. Ah, I see reading other spoilers that I’m not the only one who’s heard this. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f08c70/32.png) [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Brother_Walker)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-strange-poll-for-men/467330/84 "2008-10-11T16:39:45Z")
> [@](#): > > 1. Age > 2. state/region/country from which you hail > 3. ethnicity (yes, this is important to the poll for a change) > 4. would you eat spaghetti made “especially for” you by a woman not related to you? > 5. spoiler why not, if the answer is no 1/ 41 2/ Texxas, baby! 3/ Mestizo (Spanish/Mexican/Cherokee mutt) 4/ No 5/ If all the woman can make is s’ketti, then she’s probably a bad cook. I would expect a woman who is trying to impress me to make something a bit more challenging on a culinary scale. C’mon: Boiling water? How hard is that? Or maybe she’s just a dim bulb. If that’s the case, she’d better have a good rack. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-strange-poll-for-men/467330/85 "2008-10-11T17:47:10Z")
I’m a white woman, but the moment I read the significant question in the OP I knew what you were driving at. I’m not sure where I first heard about this particular superstition, but it was by my early teens. It’s not something that’s come up often and I don’t remember any of my black friends ever mentioning it to me, but I do recall a white boy saying he was suspicious of tomato-based foods for this reason. I grew up in the South, mostly the Gulf Coast region. I suspect this superstition is better known there than even other parts of the South, but I couldn’t say how common it is. I’d figure that most other people who’ve heard of it don’t bring it up because it’s not really a subject for polite conversation. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_in\_second\_hand\_clothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9d8465/32.png) [@wolf\_in\_second\_hand\_clothing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_in_second_hand_clothing)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-strange-poll-for-men/467330/86 "2008-10-11T20:02:49Z")
> [@Litoris](#): > > 1. Age > 2. state/region/country from which you hail > 3. ethnicity (yes, this is important to the poll for a change) > 4. would you eat spaghetti made “especially for” you by a woman not related to you? > 5. spoiler why not, if the answer is no 1. 23 2. Iowa, USA 3. Japanese/White 4. Hell yes, unless I found her utterly repulsive and couldn’t stand to eat in her presence. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-strange-poll-for-men/467330/87 "2008-10-12T02:16:40Z")
1. 34 2. Long Island / NY / USA 3. White 4. Yes. At least I’m not inherently biased against it, in the absence of contrary reasons. 5. I don’t know whatever trick or game there is to this ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-strange-poll-for-men/467330/88 "2008-10-12T02:20:11Z")
1. Age **29** 2. state/region/country from which you hail **The Jewel of the Irish Sea** 3. ethnicity (yes, this is important to the poll for a change) **Anglo-Saxon Atheist** 4. would you eat spaghetti made “especially for” you by a woman not related to you? **Yes** 5. spoiler why not, if the answer is no [spoiler]Um, what was number 5? Dude. Thanks for the image one guys spoiler has planted in my head. Can I change my answer to ‘NO’?[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-strange-poll-for-men/467330/89 "2008-10-12T02:24:20Z")
Upon reading the spoiler: I know about voodou/hoodou and the general concepts of using bodily materials to do magic with, but I had never heard specifically of the spaghetti one. On the other hand, while I wouldn’t want to eat menstrual blood just based on the ick factor, i wouldn’t be afraid of anyone casting a spell on me. Even if spells were real, my own mojo is too powerful for them to work on me unless I want them too 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-strange-poll-for-men/467330/90 "2008-10-12T02:24:21Z")
> [@Justin\_Credible](#): > > Why do I feel like I’m being set up for some sick joke? You’re not the only one. ---
**Author:** ![Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8c91f0/32.png) [@Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bam_Boo_Gut)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-strange-poll-for-men/467330/91 "2008-10-12T13:40:35Z")
> [@WF\_Tomba](#): > > What country are you in, out of curiosity? Antigua & Barbuda, but my husband is from Commonwealth of Dominica - DA and not the Dominican Republic - DR - he’s the one with the jokes. I doubt the pasta idea would not be commonly understood here, but the concept is the same. The purpose of it would be to keep or “tie” the man. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-strange-poll-for-men/467330/92 "2008-10-12T14:27:15Z")
OK, I’ll play. 1. Age 44 2. state/region/country from which you hail Michigan 3. ethnicity White, of Northern European descent 4. would you eat spaghetti made “especially for” you by a woman not related to you? Yes… [spoiler]5) unless I had some reason to be suspicious of her. But that would be true of anything she might give me. ETA: Ewwwww…[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![fervour](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@fervour](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fervour)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-strange-poll-for-men/467330/93 "2008-10-12T20:55:25Z")
42, Alabama, white, yes\*. - with the qualifier “unless there was something suspicious about the situation”. The qualifier was added after having read the spoilers. ---
**Author:** ![El\_DeLuxo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_deluxo/32/9043_2.png) [@El\_DeLuxo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_DeLuxo)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-strange-poll-for-men/467330/94 "2008-10-13T10:29:31Z")
1-Age: 49 2- Originally hail from West Virginia; now a 20+ year Californian 3-Ethnic background: mutt-Caucasian, primarily Scots-Irish (in other words, Appalachian) hillbilly 4-Would I eat the spaghetti? If she’s a good cook, I most certainly would, and probably ask for seconds. 5-I can’t \*wait \*to see what #5 is about! ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-strange-poll-for-men/467330/95 "2008-10-13T10:33:36Z")
1. 28 2. Arizona, USA 3. White 4. Sure. I love spaghetti…😕 (I assume this is a euphemism for something else but I’ve certainly never heard of it–so pile the spaghetti high and with lots of sauce, please) 5. Who doesn’t love homemade spaghetti? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![El\_DeLuxo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_deluxo/32/9043_2.png) [@El\_DeLuxo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_DeLuxo)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-strange-poll-for-men/467330/96 "2008-10-13T15:57:59Z")
> [@Litoris](#): > > Ok, while there has not been much ethnic diversity in this thread, it seems this particular issue is as obscure as I thought it might be. The point of this poll was not to settle anything, other than my curiosity. > > If you have not answered the poll, please do **NOT** look in the spoiler box before answering. Thanks! > > In hoodoo (like voodoo, only different), there is a very simple “spell” used to trap a man – it involves putting menstrual blood in the spaghetti sauce. Spaghetti, because it is usually served with a red sauce, which hides the blood easily, and also because it is a very commonly enjoyed dish. This was told to me ages ago by a black girlfriend, and I have heard many of my black male friends comment that they will not eat spaghetti unless they make it because of this. I’ve spoilered my comment on this too, just to be fair to any interested latecomers. [SPOILER] Shortly afte rI posted my first reply, it occurred to me that the answer was probably this or something similar. I actually know quite a bit about hoodoo and other folk magic beliefs and practices, and was aware of the menstrual blood thing, among other versions of the basic notion of surreptitiously feeding one’s target a love or lust potion in a meal. What misled me at first was the dish with the added juju being _spaghetti_; I generally associate that kind of magic with Southern USA culture and cuisine. Now that I think about it, though, what could be better to disguise something like menstrual blood in than a rich tomato sauce? Also, since a lot of hoodoo type magic has to do with similarities that affect each other, the idea of the hopeful operator utilizing the tangling, cord-like nature of cooked spaghetti to wrap around the target and bind him to the operator’s will makes a lot of sense. [/SPOILER] ---
**Author:** ![Earthworm\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f07891/32.png) [@Earthworm\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthworm_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-strange-poll-for-men/467330/97 "2008-10-13T16:16:15Z")
1: 34 2: Most recently, raleigh NC. 3: white-boy 4: No 5: But then again I wouldn’t eat any meal made “especially for me” by a woman not related to me. The missus would frown upon that. Generally speaking, of course. I guess it’s possible for a “specially for you” meal not to have romantic overtones - but that’s the meaning I’d assume, unless she were already a pretty close family friend ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-strange-poll-for-men/467330/98 "2008-10-13T16:18:52Z")
1. Age: 51 2. state/region/country from which you hail: Suburban DC Virginia, USA 3. ethnicity (yes, this is important to the poll for a change): White half eastern European Jew half German methodist 4. would you eat spaghetti made “especially for” you by a woman not related to you? Sure, assuming there was mutual consent (I don’t think I would eat unsolicited spaghetti :)) 5. spoiler why not, if the answer is no ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-strange-poll-for-men/467330/99 "2008-10-13T23:38:11Z")
This is the spoiliest thread ever. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_fight\_the\_hypothetical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/59ef9b/32.png) [@Don\_t\_fight\_the\_hypothetical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_fight_the_hypothetical)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-strange-poll-for-men/467330/100 "2008-10-13T23:55:07Z")
53 year old white-boy from Texas, yes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-strange-poll-for-men/467330.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-strange-poll-for-men/467330.md?page=6)