Will the TSA let me take a regular size caulking tube (pretty large) of kitchen and bath silicone sealant in my carry-on? It's not on the list of prohibited items. It's not exactly a liquid or gel. It's more like a stiff paste, but it's not completely solid. If I have to check it, I think I'll just leave it behind.

What do you experts think my odds are, assuming that the TSO sees it on the display and I tell him exactly what it is?

And why can't the rule just say non-solid if that's what they mean?