The Five Best Smells
Ben Domenech ·
April 21, 2012 at 11:05pm
I had the odd distinction of creating a hashtag the other day which became the number one trending hashtag in the world - in this case, #5bestsmells - which was chosen by all sorts of folks on Twitter as a spawning point for offering a public version of closely held sentiment. I view it as a sort of Proustian memory indicator of happiness and pleasure - my own #5bestsmells are, as follows: charcoal grill firing up, salt of the ocean, fresh cut grass, Light Blue on a woman, and bacon.
What's your own #5bestsmells, and what scents inspire various memories for you?
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Comments:
Dec '11
Re: The Five Best Smells
Natalie
EThompson
You've inspired me; perhaps the waft of a crisp new dollar bill?
I like the smell of twenties better.
Spoken like a True Capitalist!
Re: The Five Best Smells
This is encouraging, Ben, I'd agree. But so far I don't see that any women have mentioned the sweet, sweet aroma of...whiskey.
Feb '11
Re: The Five Best Smells
Great prompt, Ben (big Transom fan BTW). My favorite stinky stuff:5. Slightly acrid wind-borne feedlot smells, which reminds me of being with my grandmother in Hereford, Texas4. Wisteria or mountain laurel, reminds me of college in Austin3. Mesquite smoke from behind a barbecue joint, Mexican food or steakhouse, which is almost an aphrodisiac2. Loam and cedar bark in a dark creekbed in the Texas Hill Country, which is where I spent a lot of quiet afternoons in high school1. Johnson baby shampoo, which reminds me of my freshly scrubbed daughters
May '10
Re: The Five Best Smells
Peter Robinson
This is encouraging, Ben, I'd agree. But so far I don't see that any women have mentioned the sweet, sweet aroma of...whiskey. · 6 minutes ago
Peter, like he said...."LEARN from this, men!"
Nov '10
Re: The Five Best Smells
Freshly cut grass, steaks on a charcoal grill, gardenias, boxwood, and chocolate chip cookies baking.
Mar '11
Re: The Five Best Smells
1) Bread Baking
2) Cinnamon
3) Hot Dogs at the Ballpark
4) Ocean Air
5) Thanksgiving Turkey
Sep '10
Re: The Five Best Smells
Almost all of mine have already been mentioned, except perhaps #5:
1. The smell of bread baking
2. Beef cooking on a grill
3. Cinnamon
4. Pipe smoke
5. Warm pavement after a summer rain shower
(Edit: now correctly formatted via laptop)
Edited on April 22, 2012 at 4:23amSep '10
Re: The Five Best Smells
Btw, why don't comments from an iPad format correctly?
Apr '11
Re: The Five Best Smells
You hit them all, Charlotte. I'd probably have to substitute morel mushrooms frying in butter for the meat on the grill. Otherwise, our noses are in happy agreement.
Aug '11
Re: The Five Best Smells
Natalie: 1. the candle "Angel Whispers"
2. burning leaves
3. fresh cut grass
4. "Wash a Bye" baby wipes. (Weird...I know)
5. Brut cologne · 3 hours ago
Oh, no not Brut! I dated a guy in high school who practically bathed in Brut. Still can't take it after all these years.
Nov '10
Re: The Five Best Smells
Oh I love the smell of warm pavement after a rain shower. I hadn't thought of that.
Feb '12
Re: The Five Best Smells
The Great Adventure!
Natalie
EThompson
You've inspired me; perhaps the waft of a crisp new dollar bill? · 17 minutes ago
I like the smell of twenties better. · 1 minute ago
Benjamins! I wanna sniff me some Benjamins! · 1 hour ago
I'd be happy if I could recall the last time I saw one.
Feb '12
Re: The Five Best Smells
HeartofAmerica
Natalie: 1. the candle "Angel Whispers"
2. burning leaves
3. fresh cut grass
4. "Wash a Bye" baby wipes. (Weird...I know)
5. Brut cologne · 3 hours ago
Oh, no not Brut! I dated a guy in high school who practically bathed in Brut. Still can't take it after all these years. · 5 minutes ago
My dad wears it. It's more the memories than the smell itself.
Feb '12
Re: The Five Best Smells
(In no particular order)
1. Fine leather (Pikolino boxes are my favorite at work for this very reason)
2. Cedar. I use a cedar chest for my yarn storage.
3. Baking bread.
4. Coffee. I hate drinking the stuff, but I love the smell.
5. Roast meat.
Jun '10
Re: The Five Best Smells
1. Cinnamon
2. Baking Bread
3. Johnson's baby oil
4. Honeysuckle
5. Christmas trees
Apr '11
Re: The Five Best Smells
Lots of agreement/overlap among the men's choices (smoke, meat, etc.) and among the women's choices (flowers, baked goods, etc.).
Kind of interesting. I'm sure there's a Master's thesis in here somewhere.
Apr '11
Re: The Five Best Smells
I'm glad I'm not the only one who likes the wet pavement smell. I was afraid that might be weird. :-)
Mar '11
Re: The Five Best Smells
Citrus tree flowers, roses, lilac flowers, and (walking through the back yard when) 1. honeysuckle is blooming 2. a light rain has just ended, so one can smell the Big Sage plants
Oct '10
Re: The Five Best Smells
Feed lots and pig farms are one thing, recall driving past large alphalfa dryers in Nebraska, now that odor got right into your clothes and skin. Have to agree that cleaning up rotten potatos on a humid day is a true test of will and stomach.
As for the good part, just about anything smells better when camping. The aromas of cooking, all of it, everything is better.
May '11
Re: The Five Best Smells
When I was a teenager my girlfriend wore a perfume that I think was called White Shoulders. I know it wasn't Head and Shoulders. Don't know if they still make that stuff, but every now and then I will get a whiff of a woman's perfume that brings that memory back. Four other scents? I am too distracted by those memories at the moment.