Sticky situations

[phonemonkey]

Ladies and gentlemen, I have a few announcements to make.

1. 'Mucus' is a noun. As in 'During hayfever season, the human nose can exude copious quantities of mucus.'
2. 'Mucous' is an adjective, meaning of mucus, secreting mucus, covered in mucus, or in any way resembling mucus.
3. 'Viscous' is an adjective, meaning thick and sticky, as mucus

Comments

[sergeirichard]

If the document with "vicious mucus" in it was about politics, it probably wasn't an error.

[phonemonkey]

Probably not. But that reminds me, have you seen the Q&A session with Ukip's science spokesman? I really wish someone had asked Lord Monckton what Ukip's policy is on the roundness of the earth.

[box_of_rocks]

I've never heard of a mucus/mucous differentiation before, interesting.

[acsumama]

Yeah, I had always assumed "mucous" was just the British spelling. Good thing the AP rarely wrote about mucus.

[grendelyn]

I have a very unwelcome sinus infection, and am currently ALL of those things in one way or another.

[rleyser]

My son's mucous face is covered in vicious viscous mucus.

How's that? :o)

[schizospider]

'Mucous' is an adjective, meaning of mucus, secreting mucus, covered in mucus, or in any way resembling mucus.

I've learned a new word today! I just used to call that "gross".