What's a polite way to refer to a snot rocket? (Read 1867 times)

Maybe "Booger Bazooka" would work better?

That's awesome. I'd go with that. You ought to at least include a list of terminology. For reference purposes.

Maybe you could describe the technique in case someone is plugged up and can't breathe through their nose and has no idea of how to dislodge the honker cement.

It sounds silly, but that's not a bad idea. It's surprisingly hard to do your first time, and its a handy trick. I had to teach my lady how to do it ... and it was both funny and sad. Funny part is, this is the stuff that most running books leave out that's generally much more useful than what they keep. Beginner's don't need to know about their VO2 max or lactate threshold ... but tipping them off about how to do a snot rocket, or about the wisdom of bringing some toilet paper to your first big city marathon ... that's useful.

Maybe "Booger Bazooka" would work better?

Heh, I hadn't heard that one before. What I did was take two non-related and non-running ahead folks (1 a runner, 1 not a runner) and pointed them to this thread, and both said that they had no problem w/the term but that they thought that blowing your nose worked better anyway, so that's the direction that I went. I just put a PDF up of the introduction if anybody has an interest in reading 2 pages of the book. I was thinking of putting a chapter out, but I couldn't decide which one and I'm getting tired so I stuck to the introduction for right now.

I have also heard it called "farmer blow".

... its a handy trick...

Yes, indeed. Edward Abbey once wrote that all bodily excretions are pleasurable, but I'd say few are as pleasing as a well-snorted snot-rocket executed in full stride.

I'm doing the final edits on my book, and my wife has a note that I should change the following phrase: "If you need to spit or blow a snot rocket, then make sure there is nobody around you or that you are on the side of the course. Pay attention to the wind; it can make it hard to miss people sometimes, including yourself." Help me out - how do you suggest that I word that?

Hey Blaine, I reckon you need to use clear instead of blow. (If you need to spit or blow your nose," should cover it) This way you distance yourself the goo somewhat and focus on the problem/solution. Just my .02 centimes

Clear is a good one. If this is an electronic book.... my first searches would be for bm and evacuate... as those are very important terms when it comes to running.

May be too late... but how about... Rapid evacuation of the nasal cavity.

I reckon you need to use clear instead of blow.

I agree with Johnny Franglais on this one. I'm a technical writer (for software, but this is MUCH more interesting) and I have to be careful in my choice of words especially if the audience includes readers outside of the U.S. Sometimes terms/phrases we use in the U.S. aren't easily understood in other countries. Heck, this site was the first time I had heard of the phrase "farmer's blow" and I live in VA.