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Evocative smells

A list of 128 words by slumry.

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They remind me of a particular time, place, or activity

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  • slumry Thanks--I was also thinking it would be fun to hear what is evocative for other people! Jul 19, 2007

  • reesetee Great list! Interesting to see which aromas evoke memories for other people. I'd bet if each of us made a list like this, they'd vary wildly. :-) Jul 19, 2007

  • slumry Thanks, U and O.

    You are right, U mothballs is a must (come to think of it must is a must) I have the same association you have with mothballs--the clothing or home of someone who is elderly and likely careful and frugal. Better to have an unpleasant odor than motheaten clothes! Like you, I find it a slightly unpleasant smell with pleasant accociations. May your great-grandmother rest in peace!

    [Bay Rum} is not a scent I easily recall, O (when I was a child, it was a bit scandalous for a woman to even go into a barber shop!). However, I know it is very evocative for many people. Jul 19, 2007

  • oroboros Yeah! Bay Rum reminds me of my grandfather! (Also, barber shops). Jul 19, 2007

  • uselessness I love this list! I remember visiting my great-grandmother's house as a child, a place with a very unique smell. It wasn't a particularly "nice" smell, just distinctive. I've since smelled the same thing in other senior citizens' homes, and I still can't identify what it is, exactly. Maybe mothballs? It sounds strange, and I suppose rude, but in my mind the smell has always been linked to the elderly. It's always welcome though, because it conjures up good memories of my extended family on the other side of the country, particularly my great-grandmother, now deceased. Jul 19, 2007