FW: Antedatings for BBC List

[Michael Quinion]

Bill Mullins wrote:

> What does "something for the weekend" mean???

It's the murmured question by the barber, "Something for the weekend,
sir?", as he's finished cutting your hair or shaving you, asking you
discreetly if you'd like to buy a condom (though he wouldn't have
used that word and indeed might not have known it in pre-HIV days).
The cultural implications of the phrase are considerable.

--
Michael Quinion
Editor, World Wide Words
E-mail: <wordseditor at worldwidewords.org>
Web: <http://www.worldwidewords.org/>