euphemism

[RCP]

My 80 year old father used the euphemism 'matches' for condoms at the weekend and I'd never heard it before. Apparently a friend of his uses it as well. Has anyone heard of this or is it just a private joke between them?

[Quizmonster]

Click http://www.promospecials.homestead.com/Condoms.htm
l and scroll to the middle of the page. Could that be the explanation?

I'm a grandfather and I've certainly never heard of the usage until today.

[RCP]

Thanks Mr. QM - I knew you wouldn't be stumped for an answer. I am veering torwards the theory that it must have beena private joke. As my conception was due to poor quality standards in the British rubber industry in the 60s my dad probably should have spent the 'matches' money on nappies instead.

[Quizmonster]

Dear RCP, Re the euphemism aspect, I can just about imagine the following scenario when your father and friend were young men in the 1940s. Perhaps they were leaving a dance-hall with girlfriends they had acquired during the evening. Not wishing to 'alert' the ladies to their less-than-honourable intentions, one might have said to the other: "Got any matches, Bert?" (Everybody smoked in those days.) Knowing the 'code', Bert might then have found an opportunity to provide Bill with the needful, before the couples parted company.

That at least makes some kind of sense, though - as I said - I was never aware of any such code myself. That's not to say it wasn't common in certain places.

[RCP]

I'm sure you were far too much of a gentleman to require such a code! I think you're probably on the right track as the boys were in the army together during the war and no doubt socialised in those days when you could use the line "I'm being posted abroad tomorrow".