I don't know why smells are so taboo, but they are. It's not just houses. People's body scents are totally off-limits. (Even for compliments: saying "You smell nice!" to a stranger comes across as creepy. Partial exception if you're careful to point out that you're referring to the fragrance they're wearing. But then it's a commentary on their fashion sense, their ability to pick out a pleasing product, rather than any inherent quality of theirs.)
My best guess would be that scent is seen as an intimate sense; that we are allowed to smell others only in the same contexts as sexual contact. Further speculation is left to the reader.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2008-03-13 03:02 am (UTC)My best guess would be that scent is seen as an intimate sense; that we are allowed to smell others only in the same contexts as sexual contact. Further speculation is left to the reader.