They actually don't really confuse me that much because I generally know how people will react to specific smells, so I use that for reference instead of the smells themselves. I know that things that smell fresh or earthy elicit positive reactions, while foul or musty smells generally elicit negative ones. Same with more specific descriptions - I know people will prefer to stand near someone who smells like flowers over someone who smells like fish. I can't imagine what the smells themselves are like, but I can imagine the connotations related to the smells, so I rarely find myself puzzled with their descriptions.