Thursday, January 16, 2014

Overheard in the Kitchen...

Me: "I prefer squalene."

RX: "I like hexane."

Me: "Squalene: Otherwise known as shark liver oil."

RX: "So it's a real thing? So's hexane, although witches don't use it."

Me: "You'd think it's what Nanny Ogg used to run her barbecue grill."
The conversation had come about because of the headache-inducing effects of toluene fumes first thing in the AM. Naturally, "toluene" led to the discussion of other "-enes" and "-anes", like it does in most households, right? Right?

31 comments:

Derfel Cadarn said...

I am now motivated to inquire for the reason for the smell of toluene in the morning ? And does indeed smell like victory ? Inquiring minds want to know.

bob r said...

"Naturally, "toluene" led to the discussion of other "-enes" and "-anes", like it does in most households, right? Right?

In mine it might lead to a monologue :-).

AuricTech said...

At least it wasn't a mundane conversation....

Scott J said...

I flunked chemistry multiple times in college. That's part of how I wound up in IT.

I keep thinking perhaps I should do some remedial self-education on the subject now that I'm older and not as easily distracted by the opposite sex and parties.

The -ane foremost in my mind right now is Propane as I have to buy 100 gallons to the tune of $300 something to keep my house warm, water hot and clothes dry.

TV Norn said...

Yeah, what Derfel said - are you mixing high-octane fuel in the back hallway..? I used to trifle with aniline (RIP fiberglass fuel tanks-), toluene, xylene etc while brewing up fuels that would get along with the pistons of hopped up bike engines...

TBeck said...

Baba Yaga uses hexane to run her double boiler cauldron.

George Weinberg said...

If you don't like your toluene plain, you might want to try nitrating toluene.

Anonymous said...

'Hen-bane'? 'Wolf-bane'?
Velveeta?

Other inorganic stuff...

gfa

Ed said...

Stop sniffing the model airplane glue at breakfast and you will not have that problem.

Anonymous said...

I like ethanol. It's organic!

Gerry

Anonymous said...

.mil heat tabs to warm your morning coffee, ehh. Power out?

Chuck Pergiel said...

First it's glue, then it's meth, then the whole house goes up in a screaming fireball of death like on Justified. Yee haw!

mikee said...

As a PhD Chemist, I understood some of the words used in your post.

However, I fully expected toluene in the morning to smell like VICTORY.

Opinionated Grump (Rich in NC) said...

did youze guyz get a new stove?

Kermit said...

So the place was filled with one of the aromas that makes up the total experience of an Ankh-Morpork misty morning.

Anonymous said...

"If you don't like your toluene plain, you might want to try nitrating toluene."

....and stir in some diatomaceous earth while you're at it.....

Bobbi X said...

I was mending my motorcycle boots with Shoe Goo. Glued the heel back on last night but there was a slight gap. And they are big, clunky boots -- this was a full-width, D- shaped heel.

Will said...

Toluene is common in carb cleaners, and cheap brake cleaner. Might also be in some gun cleaning sprays. Somewhat useful solvent.
I seem to recall it became more common after the .gov started restricting the good stuff.

Ole Phat Stu said...

Do pretty girls use beut-ane?

Steve Skubinna said...

I expect that the fuel used at UU would be octane, then.

roland said...

ISWYDT. tight work.

lelnet said...

If there are households where this is not the case, I do not wish to know of them. :)

Cincinnatus said...

I picked the wrong day to stop sniffing glue.

alex. said...

In Hemingway's famous fisherman tale, the Old Man used to drink shark liver oil everyday before heading out to Sea. Hadn't thought about that tale in years. Thanks for the memories!

Will said...

Roberta, does that Shoe Goo work well?

I've got a pair of light hiking type boots that the whole outer sole (rubber) detached, except at the wrap around toe and heel. I'm wondering how well it would hold on something that is flexible.

I'm thinking it would be best to glue it in sections, rather than try for full coverage all at once.
That's if the glue is even appropriate for this type of repair.

CMonster said...

+1 for the knowing who Nanny Ogg is.

Ken said...

For the finest in chemical humor, may I recommend:

Things I Won't Work With. "Sand Won't Save You This Time" is probably still the best of the lot.

mikee said...

Shoe Goo is one of the best things in life, and I recommend it heartily for all footwear related repairs.

Since I first used it in the early 1980s on running shoes that had loose morals, or at least lost soles, there have been innovations such as Marine Goo, Boot & Glove Goo, Plumbing Goop, and so on.

Check out the entire line of Goo:

http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Goop-Plumbing-Household-M10-5510100/dp/B004M774E2

another Mike said...

We sell Goop products where I work, and we were told that they are all the same stuff, repackaged for marketing purposes.

I'm not sure I believe that, completely.

The products do work on almost anything - dries clear and slightly flexible so it isn't prone to cracking.

George Groot said...

Funny, I did a research project on squalene epoxidase inhibitors in college. You know, those classes of drugs which get rid of athlete's foot.

As far as hexane goes, lots of different hexanes out there, cyclohexane, tetrahedral hexane, of course when you get into IUPAC naming everything sounds scary...

Anonymous said...

I used to work with cyclohexane (a good solvent for pharmaceuticals). Scary stuff--we had a lot of fire evacuations.

Antibubba