Should Girlfriend Give Him The Boot Over Foot Odor

Dear Abbner,

I don’t know about writing to a male advice columnist about hygiene, but here goes. The guy I’m dating is perfect in every way, except for really bad foot odor. He’s not just a construction worker, he’s more of an artist working with specialized masonry walks and stone fireplaces, but when he takes off his boots at the end of the day, he could knock a dog off a meat wagon.

I’ve tried some subtle hints like asking him to leave his boots outside, but the smell still follows him in. I’m thinking of asking one of our mutual friends, a guy, to mention it to him.

Should I just leave some soap in his boots or what?

Grossed out in Greewich

PS: He’s also got super rough hands. Any advice?



Dear Grossed,


I've reviewed your post three times, and I still can't figure out where the problem is.

For starters, it sounds like you got lucky and found a man's man. If your stone layer came home from work smelling like Drakar Noir, you'd be dealing with a much different problem, like finding an unpleasant answer to the recent disappearances of some of your favorite summer frocks that happen to be in his size.

Or even worse, if he came home from the job smelling like Chanel Number 5 and Pantene.

If the smell is really too much for you to bear, I would recommend the use of Vick's Vapo Rub. It works every time. Simply smear a little bit under each nostril, and you won't smell a thing. I'll leave it up to you to explain to your man why you seem to have a permanent milk mustache.

As far as the rough hands...Count your blessings. I know women who spend a fortune on pumice stones and loofas, since exfoliating seems to be the big buzz-word in skin care. When you need some dead skin cells scraped off, just ask your man for a back rub.


^Abbner