bucket of muddy water

That bucket of water and mud mess they left in the backyard stinks to high heaven.

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The other day I was reminded of the old saying stinks to high heaven when I heard it come out of my own mouth.

Over the weekend we had some kind of smell in the kitchen. One of those mysterious smells that almost makes you gag, but you can’t really pinpoint where it’s coming from. We’ve went through cabinets and looked under things all to no avail. We never did figure out what it was, but thankfully our kitchen is no longer stinking to high heaven.

Tipper

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24 Comments

  1. Tipper,
    I have posted on this word before and written my little posts about stinks….My family from WNC…always said that any odor that caused your nostrils to snerl was called cairn…Stinks like cairn smells like cairn, etc. For years as a child, I didn’t realize what cairn was…LOL

  2. Hey Tipper, I’m new to your site, but I’m in love with it already. My grandma grew up in Pocatalico West Virginia. She always used to say “girl you sure got a good cook on that…” or “did ya get yer sleep out”. Have you heard those before? I’m sure she had a ton more just like them.

  3. Tipper,
    And Ed,
    Thank you for the link, I had never heard him before, or the Song.

    I got to go to a Funeral today, it begins at 2:00 and at Valley River Church, near Happy Top. My buddie, Carol Clark, 55 died at Gainsville Hospital from Pneumonia recently. He will be missed.
    …Ken

  4. That is a phrase I use often. It was common when I was growing up, but maybe not so much now. I lived in Canton for three years and when I first moved I kept smelling something awful. I assumed it was the paper mill and I would just have to live with it. Later, I discovered a rotten potato in my bin in the kitchen. I could have found it lots earlier if I had not thought it was something else. Thankfully, I have been back in the country for many years, but every now and then I can “smell to high heaven” something even here.

  5. Tipper–The spelling of the word Aw Griff is looking for is carrion.I can’t believe no one, as I write this, has mentioned Loudon Wainwright’s “classic” song, “Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road.” I won’t give away the secret, but strange as it may seem there’s a spot of romance connected to that song in the life of Br’er Don. I’m sure if he reads today’s post he will explain.

    As for smell, I can’t think of anything worse than a cow carcass which has reached the point where ‘possums are dining in the stomach cavity. It will spoil any thoughts you have of dining, and anyone who eats ‘possum after seeing them in that particular setting has a far, far strong stomach than me.

    Jim Casada

  6. Yes. I’ve heard and used that expression. The expression I don’t hear much any more is stunk like quarn, karn. Don’t know how to spell the way it’s pronounced. B.Ruth and Ed are good at the spellings, maybe they can come up with a better way.
    I didn’t realize until after I was grown up that it meant carrion.

  7. We’ve got a mystery in our dishwasher that stinks to high heaven! Not in the line because the sink right next to it is fine. Can only figure it’s the grinder in the unit itself, but it’s enough to gag a maggot!

  8. When I have one of those stinking to high heaven smells, I start looking for a dead mouse. They are usually dead in the basement/cellar and the smell comes through the ductwork, causing me to hunt for hours and never find it. I dread this time of year when the little varmints come inside to keep warm and die.

  9. “Stinks to High Heaven” I’ve heard that all my life and all my life I’ve wondered “Is there a Low Heaven?” and which one is my real home.

  10. I haven’t had to use that term in years. Thank Heaven. Now that I have said it I will probably have something make me a fibber. I am praying for lots of clear mountain smells. Even though it is hot Fall is in the air.

  11. Had not heard the phrase ‘to high heaven’ in a long time but it was common when I was growing up. As best I recall, most anything could be ‘to high heaven’ that is, to the maximum, though it was attached to stinks probably more than anything else.

  12. Yes, I even surprise myself by occasionally using an expression from my childhood. Stinking to high heaven can really be baffling, especially when you can’t locate the source. Recently a stray piece of cantaloupe was causing a really strange smell. Followed the fruit flies!
    A few years ago I was puzzled when my kitchen had an odor, and when a friend pointed it out I knew I had to get busy. I turned the kitchen upside down cleaning an already clean kitchen, and finally found the culprit. Always the overanxious to get started gardener I found a forgotten small bag of onion sets, and they were stinking to high heaven. I read a story once about an ex getting possession of the house, so wife took revenge by hiding fish scraps about the house before she departed. Bet that was a stinky divorce!

  13. Worst ever in the kitchen is a rotten potato! When I was a child a mouse died inside our propane heater. There was no way to get it out & the stink was unbelievable!

  14. Yep happen to use also one year possibly one of 2 things, vent pipe has obstruction or septic tank is getting full and needs pumped out, the later is what fixed ours, we never had this problem in all the years we lived at our 1st house but the soil was different there and the field lines did their thing, at our newer house the soil perked but barely and so the field lines are not as good as the others were. O yea, it did stink to high heaven.

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