# What is a booger, exactly? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 17, 2026, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-booger-exactly/1033134 "2026-09-17T04:19:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2026, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-booger-exactly/1033134/21 "2026-09-18T10:29:06Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Yup, sure 'nuff Ever pull a slimer out? You can feel the tickle in the back of your throat. It’s a weird, disconcerting sensation. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2026, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-booger-exactly/1033134/22 "2026-09-18T12:37:09Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > Where did it go? Down the throat? Hey, just think of it as a solid form of natural sinus drainage. 😀 ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2026, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-booger-exactly/1033134/23 "2026-09-18T12:47:28Z")
Old joke: **Gross Guy** :“What’s green and goes 90 mph backward?” **Second Banana:** “I don’t know..” **Gross Guy:** [gives a hard long sniff] ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2026, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-booger-exactly/1033134/24 "2026-09-18T15:03:34Z")
The Orioles had a ball player named Boog Powell. I wonder if booger is a shade more boog, or maybe booger is one who boogs. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2026, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-booger-exactly/1033134/25 "2026-09-18T15:15:13Z")
thank you for this link! ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2026, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-booger-exactly/1033134/26 "2026-09-18T15:30:13Z")
🎶 You may think it’s mucus, but it’s snot… 🎵 ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2026, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-booger-exactly/1033134/27 "2026-09-18T16:47:28Z")
> [@Bill\_Door](#): > > If you can count it, it’s a booger. If you have to weigh it, it’s snot. All grammarians agree that correct usage is “less snot” and “fewer boogers”. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2026, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-booger-exactly/1033134/28 "2026-09-18T16:59:12Z")
“Snot” can be countable. Otherwise, you couldn’t pluralize it, and then we’d lose valuable linguistic constructs like “what a bunch of insufferable snots.” ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2026, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-booger-exactly/1033134/29 "2026-09-18T17:17:55Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > When the mucus collects that debris, and dries out, well, that’s a booger. So I _shouldn’t_ eat them? Sheesh, next you’ll be telling me that urine isn’t healthy to drink. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2026, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-booger-exactly/1033134/30 "2026-09-18T17:31:47Z")
In golf it’s called a bogie. When you get one, you’re supposed to yell “Oh bugger that boogering bogie!” Or so I’ve heard. ---
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2026, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-booger-exactly/1033134/31 "2026-09-18T19:37:44Z")
and then there’s the NFL player/analyst who’s (unfortunately) been struck with that “nickname” since childhood, “Booger” McFarland ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2026, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-booger-exactly/1033134/32 "2026-09-19T01:08:12Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > Ever pull a slimer out? > You can feel the tickle in the back of your throat. It’s a weird, disconcerting sensation. And then you are there holding the hard end with about 4 feet of translucent green string with a tiny droplet end, thinking, “_What now?_” ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanubv.2/32/3260_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUBv.2)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2026, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-booger-exactly/1033134/33 "2026-09-19T20:06:35Z")
I heard it as When you’re out with your honey And your nose is kind of runny Some people think it’s funny, but it’s snot And not to leave out the boogers… Everybody’s doin’ it doin’ it Pickin’ their nose and chewin’ it chewin’ it ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2026, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-booger-exactly/1033134/34 "2026-09-19T21:54:55Z")
Prepare for grossness: My friends from junior high and I used to waste copious amounts of time mangling TV commercials. The lyric from above is from Chiffon margarine ad: “You may think it’s butter, but it’s not — it’s Chiffon.” Try as we might, we couldn’t figure out what to replace “Chiffon” with. ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2026, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-booger-exactly/1033134/35 "2026-09-20T00:46:33Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > A “booger” is not snot. Are you seriously saying that it snot snot? 😀 ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2026, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-booger-exactly/1033134/36 "2026-09-20T02:48:17Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Prepare for grossness: > > My friends from junior high and I used to waste copious amounts of time mangling TV commercials. The lyric from above is from Chiffon margarine ad: “You may think it’s butter, but it’s not — it’s Chiffon.” Try as we might, we couldn’t figure out what to replace “Chiffon” with. If you think it’s a booger, but it’s not, it’s John Kahn (sort of rhymed with Chiffon) circa 1974. Middle school kids are vicious. ---
**Author:** ![Eric1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3bc359/32.png) [@Eric1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eric1)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2026, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-booger-exactly/1033134/37 "2026-09-20T03:25:04Z")
Occasionally a booger is a mark I don’t intend to leave. Last winter at my job, I had the worst cold while filing a report. My boss told me afterwards that my cover was marred. She pointed to the big wad with a big greasy nose hair I left on the cover. My coworker said “(Bleep), don’t blow your nose on the product, buddy!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-booger-exactly/1033134.md?page=1)