French letter
1
9.9
- noun
- NSFW
:
preservativo
- Rick Santorum wants the US Congress to overturn Griswold v. Connecticut, a landmark case in which the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the Constitution protected a right to privacy; that is, you can buy French letters (prophylactics).
Examples
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Have you got a French letter?
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l could buy you some of those French letters.
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Maybe a French letter or two.
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Those French-letter things boys wear to stop girls getting pregnant-- why are they called that?
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In the past, many couples relied on French letters to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
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The pharmacy had a discreet section where you could purchase French letters.
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Before going out, he made sure to pack some French letters for the night.
Synonyms
442
2.8
A thin rubber cover that you wear on the penis during sex to prevent pregnancy and infections
2
8.2
A thin rubber cover worn during sex to prevent pregnancy or disease
1
4.5
A thing that stops pregnancy, for example a pill or condom
1
8.3
A thin rubber cover worn on the penis during sex to prevent pregnancy and infections
1
6.4
Something people use to prevent pregnancy, like a condom or diaphragm
Surface Forms
Morphology
French + letter
The phrase 'French letter' is an archaic euphemism for 'condom' with no predictable link to 'French' (relating to France) or 'letter' (a written message or character). This is a culture-specific idiomatic usage, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would not be able to derive the sexual/medical meaning.
Etymology
The term French letter may come from old England, where French suggested something sexual or foreign and letter suggested a small paper packet—condoms were often sold folded in little paper wraps like tiny 'letters'. So the phrase came to mean 'condom'.