Some of this sounds familiar...

From an interview with one of the scientists on the LHC project (the giant particle-smasher in Switzerland):

"It smells probably much like you'd expect -- a bit 'games-heavy'. The experimentalists and the theoretical physicists have a different odour. The excessive amount of soft cheese in the area doesn't add to the spring-time freshness of the site."

Ah yes, the brilliant combination of theoretical physicists' notoriously poor personal hygiene, and fragrant food. I remember noticing the same thing at at least one of the synchrotrons I've worked at - although in that case it was mainly the $2-a-plate spicy omelettes and (incredibly nice) pork dumplings rather than French cheese...

Although, from the same interview, this one is a bit below the belt, particularly coming from someone originating from the northern half of England... :P

"The official languages of CERN are English and French, but it depends which group you're working in. There are around 3,000 physicists. You get an awful lot of German, Italian, plenty of Spanish, lot of Japanese, Russian, Australian (because that's not really English)."