Still improving my English. I was looking this morning to the meaning of "French Letter".

I found those delightful threads on The Phrase Finder website, which to the English vocabulary what IORR is to the Stones. (Characters definition are my minor contribution)

- Corinne / Character : not-so-ingenue French girl widely open to every experiment suggested with bona fide from the other side of the channel:

"I would like to know what the origin is of the word French letter (for: condom). The use of the term 'letter' seems quite straightforward: a condom is a bit like an envelope in that it envelopes. The french have a reputation of being romantic. All this is speculation. I found one place on the Net where it says it dates back to 1856. No more"


- James/ Character : Briton connoisseur, answering to Corinne

"The first contaceptive devices of this type were developed in France. They were made of animal organs - possibly intestine and were later imported into Britain They became known there by their present name. All of this in the early 1800s, I think"

- ESC/ Character : further in-depth Briton connoisseur, well aware of French lust, probably De Quincey's admiror

"From "Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins" by Robert Hendrickson (Fact on File, New York, 1997):

"FRENCH - The prejudice that anything French is wicked, sexual, and decadent has let Frenchmen in for more than their fair share of abuse in English. Many such expressions date back to 1730-1820, the height of Anglo-French nmity, but some are current and others go back even further."

"Under CONDUM, it says ".Dr. Conton (a London doctor in the court of Charles II) probably did improve upon the condom, but an equally reliable source traces the word derivation to a Colonel Condum of Britain's Royal Guards.

This authority notes that the colonel devised the 'French letter' early in the mid-17th century to protect his troops from the French. The French, chauvinistic, too, called 'condoms' English letters." "

- Bob/ Character : questioner with taste for trivia and trifles)

"But why "letter"? I understand the nationalistic antagonism, but the choice of the word "letter" is still a mystery to me. Letter as in message, or letter of the alphabet or some other kind of letter? What's the connection?"

- ESC/ Character : further in-depth Briton connoisseur, well aware of French lust, probably De Quincey's admiror - still unsatisfied)

"What was the original packaging of condums? Could they have been packaged in something that resembled an envelope? I'll bet there is a web site somewhere that has the history of condums that would answer that question?"

Schillid, in one of the spam messages there is a Log out (schillid). That is very strange! Hope you don't have your machine hijacked or something

Quote
The Joker
Still improving my English. I was looking this morning to the meaning of "French Letter".

I found those delightful threads on The Phrase Finder website, which to the English vocabulary what IORR is to the Stones. (Characters definition are my minor contribution)

- Corinne / Character : not-so-ingenue French girl widely open to every experiment suggested with bona fide from the other side of the channel:

"I would like to know what the origin is of the word French letter (for: condom). The use of the term 'letter' seems quite straightforward: a condom is a bit like an envelope in that it envelopes. The french have a reputation of being romantic. All this is speculation. I found one place on the Net where it says it dates back to 1856. No more"


- James/ Character : Briton connoisseur, answering to Corinne

"The first contaceptive devices of this type were developed in France. They were made of animal organs - possibly intestine and were later imported into Britain They became known there by their present name. All of this in the early 1800s, I think"

- ESC/ Character : further in-depth Briton connoisseur, well aware of French lust, probably De Quincey's admiror

"From "Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins" by Robert Hendrickson (Fact on File, New York, 1997):

"FRENCH - The prejudice that anything French is wicked, sexual, and decadent has let Frenchmen in for more than their fair share of abuse in English. Many such expressions date back to 1730-1820, the height of Anglo-French nmity, but some are current and others go back even further."

"Under CONDUM, it says ".Dr. Conton (a London doctor in the court of Charles II) probably did improve upon the condom, but an equally reliable source traces the word derivation to a Colonel Condum of Britain's Royal Guards.

This authority notes that the colonel devised the 'French letter' early in the mid-17th century to protect his troops from the French. The French, chauvinistic, too, called 'condoms' English letters." "

- Bob/ Character : questioner with taste for trivia and trifles)

"But why "letter"? I understand the nationalistic antagonism, but the choice of the word "letter" is still a mystery to me. Letter as in message, or letter of the alphabet or some other kind of letter? What's the connection?"

- ESC/ Character : further in-depth Briton connoisseur, well aware of French lust, probably De Quincey's admiror - still unsatisfied)

"What was the original packaging of condums? Could they have been packaged in something that resembled an envelope? I'll bet there is a web site somewhere that has the history of condums that would answer that question?"

Ben la justement, cela s'appelle de la branlette et donc intellectuelle ou pas, pas besoin de capote.