Sensus Beaviis et Butt-headi

I'm endlessly tickled by the fact that in 17th- and 18th-century England, masseuses and masseurs-- massage therapists, if you will-- were referred to as rubbers.

Of course, condoms existed in 18th-century England, where they were called, among other things, French envelopes and condums. The OED acknowledges the initial use of condum in 1707; however it offers no support for the notion that the contraceptive was named after its supposed inventor, Dr. Condum. Scholar Zacharias Thundy argues that condoms existed long before 1706, suggesting that the word derives from cum domus/doma-- "with house."



With house...[snicker, snicker, snicker]...

Rubbers...[snicker, snicker, snicker]...

Zacharias...[snicker, snicker, snicker]...