french letters...

[Peter Trachtenberg]

On Mon, 2 Oct 1995, Bradley O'Neill wrote:

> I post the following trivial question here, as I am more likely to get a
> snappy answer from a Pynchon-wonk than from anyone else. So,
> encyclopedists, activate:
> 
>         **What is the origin of the term 'french letters' for condom?
> 
> If you know the answer, or don't *know* but have a clever idea, fill me in.
> I apologize to those readers whose bandwidth sensibilities I may have
> offended...
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Bradley.
> 
> I'm not sure, but would guess that the term has some relation to the 
xenophobic (or maybe just Francophobic) name for syphilis: "the French 
disease." In all accuracy, it should have been called "the American 
disease," in keeping with its New World origins, or maybe "the Spanish 
pox," after its original European vectors. But NOOOO! They had to blame 
it on the French! Now maybe they gave us Derrida, a-and collaborated with 
those Krauts, a-a-and elevated Jerry Lewis to a cult object, but you 
can't blame the poor guys for syphilis.
"I'm just a victim in a vacuum."
Peter >