That weird "dirt" description

TheNightling @TheNightling Nov 2, 2026 6:09 AM

In October I came across at least two memes and one Mr. Nightmare video where someone described the autumn scent with "Dirt" as a description.
Is this a tell of AI doing writing? How the Hell do you mistake the crisp scent of drying leaves, petrichor, apples, pumpkin guts, and other pleasant blends as "Dirt"?

I'm going to assume this is the result of lazy people relying on AI for descriptions or extremely unimaginative people who don't actually know what dirt smells like or are too "Urban" to understand and appreciate natural fragrances.

TL;DR: Autumn does NOT smell like "Dirt."

Spook-tagon_Hall @Spook-tagon_Hall Nov 7, 2026 3:51 AM

it's a real stretch to be sure, and i don't "get it" myself. but hey :: shrug :: maybe -- and i'm just willing to give them the benefit of a doubt -- they just mean that there's a certain earthy smell that they like and think of during this time of year. i like the smell of mulch, for example. odd, yes, but it has a pleasant smell to me. maybe that's what they're getting at. anyway, stay spooky and to each their own! :)

crazycat @crazycat Nov 9, 2026 1:58 AM

Well, 'dirt' is another word for soil/earth, so if someone is thinking of the smell after autumn rains, describing it as 'dirt' could be apt. I would say petrichor (not everyone is familiar with that word) is a distinctive good smell after rain, but most often rain doesn't produce that, and instead produces a plain earthy / wet dirt / decaying leaves scent.
Rain in a city with a lot of asphalt and concrete can produce other scents which for lack of a better word, one might describe as "dirt" too. If I think of autumn in a northerly city in a cold/rainy climate, I don't associate it with good smells. Was the question about what autumn scents one enjoys, or just what scents does one associate with autumn? I suppose it doesn't matter; some people enjoy the scent of gasoline which I have a hard time understanding, so I'm sure some enjoy the scent of earth / dirt too.

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