We praise dexterity , a light touch and good taste , etc. There are no equivalent terms of approval for smelling ability. In fact, the only common expression which implies olfactory prowess is nosy - a term of abuse rather than commendation. Yet the sense of smell is so unimportant to us that terms for olfactory deficits, such as anosmic , are not even understood by the majority, let alone used to express disapproval. As if this were not degradation enough, the verb to smell , when used descriptively, has a negative meaning unless qualified by a commendatory adjective.
Smells are guilty until proven innocent.
When we wish to praise, we are far more likely to refer to a person s effect on our visual sense than to any pleasant olfactory impact. The poor judge who attempted to convey the attractions of a woman by describing her as fragrant was subjected to endless ridicule by the press and public. The Western devaluation of our sense of smell is, in historical terms, a fairly recent phenomenon. In popular culture, the current aromatherapy-boom indicates a similar revival of interest in the powers of perfume. The findings of research on olfaction, previously reported only in obscure academic journals, now appear regularly in popular newspapers and glossy magazines.