You know, the stuff that accumulates in the corners of your eyes … especially when you first wake up.
Where does it come from and what is it?
related question “what’s it called”?
For the life of me, I can’t think of the name. My 4 year old is calling them “eye boogers”, which makes me proud that her English is really coming along, but I know there has to be a more proper term.
IANAD but I believe the words you’re looking for are “lachrymal secretions.” But I could be totally wrong. My personal favorite word is an old sniglet, “optigoop.” Whatever the optigoop actually is, my WAG is that it accumulates because you don’t blink when you’re asleep, thus not distributing the secretions by blinking, thus leading to buildup.
An earlier thread on this subject: http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=56129
We called it ‘sleepy’.
A friend of a sister of mine used to call them “crispies” when they were dry.
You’re welcome.
Thanks for the link to the earlier thread, bibliophage!
Which doesn’t have the answer but links to this thread. Which doesn’t have the answer. Or rather, has an answer which may or may not be right. But also includes two other links. Which are dead.
Cecil?
That’s the official term in our family for the phenomenon as well. 