If You Could Bottle A Smell, What Would It Be?

"Jcarr" (jcarr) 02/25/2016 at 12:42 • Filed to: Oppo Questions

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Smell is one of our most powerful senses and has significant links to memory. Any number of aromas can transport you back to days past, both good and bad.

If you could bottle or otherwise permanently preserve a smell for on-demand recall, what would it/they be?

Among my choices would be:

Fresh cut grass mixed with a hint of 2-stroke exhaust

Burning leaves

The scent of every vehicle I’ve ever owned

The perfume/lotion/whatever my wife was wearing when we first dated

My son as a newborn

CalzoneGolem > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 12:46

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Lilacs.

TheHondaBro > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 12:48

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Pizza.

Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 12:48

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My grandpa’s cedar mill.

X37.9XXS > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 12:49

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Fresh, crisp, and new

StoneCold > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 12:49

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Propane.

Jcarr > TheHondaBro 02/25/2016 at 12:50

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Caution. May lead to this.

For Sweden > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 12:50

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TheHondaBro > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 12:50

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wtf

Jcarr > For Sweden 02/25/2016 at 12:51

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You may be on to something.

TheVicious > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 12:51

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That sweet, sweet new car smell...

Leadbull > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 12:51

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Campfire and gasoline.

I almost said my late grandfather’s cigarettes, but decided that was no bueno...

Leadbull > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 12:52

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fugly.com

TheHondaBro > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 12:52

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A perfume that’s conflicting with the applicant’s skin chemistry. Mmmm...

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 12:52

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This is probably because I’m hungry, but spaetzle and schweinshaxe.

Jcarr > Leadbull 02/25/2016 at 12:53

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I know what you mean. The smell of cigarette smoke reminds me of good things, but at the same time it can be disgusting or unpleasant.

Jcarr > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 02/25/2016 at 12:54

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......and now I’m hungry.

djmt1 > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 12:54

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A slushbox can be fun, too! > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 12:54

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My fart

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 12:55

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Race fuel

Bacon cooking

fresh baked cookies

Leadbull > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 12:55

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I absolutely hate it, except for when I associate it with grandpa.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 12:55

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The rich exhaust smell the Slowrunner produces when the windows are open and the engine is at near redline.

Azrek > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 12:56

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1980's Arcades to include the (stale) pizza smell.

Those were good days.

Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 12:58

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The corn-chip scent of my dogs when they’re smelling good

The mix of sweat, spilled beer, and ozone from all of the electronics after a big show at the concert venue where I used to work

The lavender-castile-soap and ozone smell from a busy tattoo shop

Leather and Old Books. Like an old library with a bunch of big comfy chairs.

Tripper > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 13:00

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honeysuckles

Svart Smart, traded in his Smart > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 13:01

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Old cars I’ve been in (1991 Accord, 1987 Corolla, 1973 Beetle, etc.)

The Minnesota northwoods (Ely/Boundary Waters area)

My friend’s, uh, basement (leather, rope, wood, exhaled vaping vapors)

Moves-Like-Senna > Leadbull 02/25/2016 at 13:01

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Trying to quit again (I’m at 11 days) the smell of a cigarette is the most appealing smell in the world. I prefer cigars but the cravings are just too strong haha.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > StoneCold 02/25/2016 at 13:02

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EL_ULY > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 13:03

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The shit my 2 chihuahua puppies make

that is some premium commercial grade bio terrorism!

Stapleface > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 13:04

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The smell right before a rainstorm. As someone else mentioned, Cedar is a really good one too. And I Like the smell of Gasoline, and cigarettes from a fresh pack. Also the smell of flavored coffee beans, but not brewed coffee.

Leadbull > Moves-Like-Senna 02/25/2016 at 13:05

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I smoke cigars occasionally, but they’re pretty hit or miss for me.

Jcarr > EL_ULY 02/25/2016 at 13:06

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Ha! I guess I never said you couldn’t use it for nefarious purposes.

Jcarr > Stapleface 02/25/2016 at 13:06

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I forgot about the pre-rainstorm smell. I know exactly what you mean.

Sneaky Pete > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 13:08

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The smell of fresh cut lumber.

The smell of firewood burning in a fireplace, from outdoors on a cold December day.

Short-throw Granny Shifter is 2 #blessed 2b stressed > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 13:09

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Freshly roasted and ground coffee. Also, grounds make a great cheap car air freshener if you are into coffee.

tromoly > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 13:11

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If it could be bottled without the burning eyes/nose part, then Methanol and Nitromethane exhaust, they just smell soooo good. Methanol is like an Orange smell, while Nitromethane is a very Citrus-y smell with a bunch of Lemon, it’s so nice aside from the burning nose and eyes part.

StoneCold > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 02/25/2016 at 13:17

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My dad is the real-life version of Hank Hill; my earliest memories are of being at the plant and riding things like the forklift and the riding mower when I was 3 or so. Almost drove a fork into a 10,000 gallon tank when I was 4.

Also the ‘66 Mustang ran on propane long ago (back when it was a ‘65 coupe, but that’s a story I’m putting to print in the spring), as well as our old Jeep Cherokee.

I also learned how to test regulators and look for leaks when I was like, 10.

C62030 > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 13:20

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Decaying books. Expo markers. The inside of my Pontiac. Pool water. I don’t know why I like that last one so much.

StoneCold > StoneCold 02/25/2016 at 13:21

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I should edit and say industrial propane. The mix of grease and dust and propane and orange Gojo.

fhrblig > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 13:23

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- a forest in summer

- cigar smoke

- scotch

- my dog, when she’s clean

ttyymmnn > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 13:26

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Bacon. Definitely bacon.

Opposite Locksmith > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 13:27

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Hot brakes

Funktheduck > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 13:28

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I have an awful sense of smell. Sometimes it’s like I have a smell magnifying glass for my nose and other times it’s like I might as well not have a nose. I have very few memories associated with smell and most are not anything anyone, myself included, would want bottled.

coelacanthist > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 13:33

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Avgas exhaust.... Mmmmm

Jcarr > Short-throw Granny Shifter is 2 #blessed 2b stressed 02/25/2016 at 13:34

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They absorb other smells well, too. I bought a truck that had been smoked in quite a bit. Put a bowl full of grounds in it for a week or so and the smell was gone.

Jcarr > ttyymmnn 02/25/2016 at 13:35

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What, not avgas?

Jcarr > coelacanthist 02/25/2016 at 13:36

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The smell of a P-51 as it taxis by.

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 13:40

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Old Volvo Leather interior after baking in the sun on a hot summer day. Bonus if it has a light stale cigarette smell.

I'm weird I guess. Lol

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > For Sweden 02/25/2016 at 13:42

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Oh god. No! No! No! The original owner of my old Volvo 850 wore that for the 20 years that she owned the car. It was so badly soaked into the seats that if you sat in them, you smelled like that perfume.

JRapp: now as good as new again > For Sweden 02/25/2016 at 13:51

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That’s by far the worst smelling perfume ever concucted.

JRapp: now as good as new again > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 13:53

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Petrichor?

Khalbali > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 14:23

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I worked a dinner party once that was a five course whiskey tasting dinner, and course 3 was glenmorangie nectar d’or paired with braised wild boar and it was the best thing I have ever smelled.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > EL_ULY 02/25/2016 at 14:51

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This is where I immediately went, there are lots of good smells out there you can buy, but not the truly awful smells.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 14:53

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There is a certain level of cigarette smoke that smells good, right before it goes stale. My aunt (who died of lung cancer, go figure) always had a very nice, relaxing cigarette smell, I’m not sure if it was her specific brand or what, but I looooove that smell.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > Svart Smart, traded in his Smart 02/25/2016 at 14:55

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Sex dungeon, just say it.

ceanderson920 > Jcarr 02/25/2016 at 15:21

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The scented exhaust of my old Triumph Daytona.

Svart Smart, traded in his Smart > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. 02/25/2016 at 19:42

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OK, yeah, sex dungeon.