by Chaucer59 » Thu Apr 26, 2012 7:09 am
WRONG WRONG WRONG!
Damn. I'm so sick of that screwed-up mis-interpretation. It's an old TV trope based on a misunderstanding and carried forward by dozens of half-assed whodunits and quarter-assed CSI programs. Cyanide DOES NOT smell or taste like almonds--bitter or otherwise. The FLESH of a CYANIDE-POISONING VICTIM smells like bitter almond--ex post facto. The odor is only a useful datum for medical examiners, and even then the scent of bitter almonds is elusive and not noticed by everyone.
WRONG WRONG WRONG!
Damn. I'm so sick of that screwed-up mis-interpretation. It's an old TV trope based on a misunderstanding and carried forward by dozens of half-assed whodunits and quarter-assed CSI programs. Cyanide DOES NOT smell or taste like almonds--bitter or otherwise. The FLESH of a CYANIDE-POISONING VICTIM smells like bitter almond--ex post facto. The odor is only a useful datum for medical examiners, and even then the scent of bitter almonds is elusive and not noticed by everyone.