You haven’t said what the odour affecting your current place of work is, but I’m imagining how your own version of this absurd chant might go. “YUK! FISHY, FISHY, FISHY!” just doesn’t have the same ring. “CHEESY, CHEESY, CHEESY” is similarly tepid. And what would you shout if you’re dealing with durian or boiled Brussels sprouts?

I’m not saying you should totally discount this tactic. It hums with it’s-so-crazy-it-just-might-work energy. It certainly has novelty and shock value, and you’ve witnessed its (almost unbelievable) efficacy. But, here’s my problem: is it really you? Is it really anyone except that colourful character at your former place of work? He sounds like one out of the box and perhaps only he was capable of pulling off such an unlikely feat. Yes, you could modify the declaration – retain the “loudness” and “displeasure” as you put it, but eschew the silly-word repetition. But would it still be the same? Would it have the same power? I’m not convinced.

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By all means make it clear to your colleague that the new smell is making your stomach turn, but my advice would be to think carefully about whether yelling, or bursting into a room for that matter, is really necessary. Although your former colleague proves it can be effective when pulled off by an eccentric jester, it’s more often used as a wholly unsuccessful gambit by bullies and incompetent loudmouths. Often both.

No, I think you should cherish “EGGY, EGGY, EGGY!” as a weird and wonderful career memory, but perhaps don’t treat it as a template for low-level workplace dispute resolution.