Thursday, January 10, 2008

strangle inopportune moments

Fragrances that remind me of a very specific scene in my life throw me way back, occasionally knocking me over. Perhaps fragrance isn't the correct word, maybe it is odor?

Fragrance
1. The state or quality of having a pleasant odor.
2. A sweet or pleasant odor; a scent.
3. A substance, such as a perfume or cologne, designed to emit a pleasant odor.

Odor
1. the property of a substance that activates the sense of smell: to have an unpleasant odor.
2. a sensation perceived by the sense of smell; scent.
3. an agreeable scent; fragrance.
4. a disagreeable smell.
5. a quality or property characteristic or suggestive of something: An odor of suspicion surrounded his testimony.
6. repute: in bad odor with the whole community.

I suppose since it isn't only sweet or pleasant odors that provide these recall moments I should have begun this post with the word odors, rather than fragrances.

3 comments:

ghost said...

nostalgia is an interesting ting, no? mine is usually triggered by a song, rather than an odor or fragrance.

Casdok said...

Arnt women supposed to be attracted to men by their fragrance? Or is it their odor?

meshie said...

It's neither fragrance nor odor; it's odour.

Songs bring me back to things, too... always songs... sometimes scents too. It depends.