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Make the beast with two backs -

This not-so-romantic expression is actually used by Iago in William Shakespeare's 'Othello.'

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Give someone a green gown -

How can a woman get her gown stained green? By rolling in the grass with a lover, of course.

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Make feet for children's stockings -

Because there's no point having children's stockings at home and no kids to wear them, right?

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Ride below the crupper -

What is a crupper, you ask? Well, it's a sort of strap that is buckled to the tail of a horse to prevent the saddle from sliding forward. This also keeps the horse's tail erect.

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The service of Venus -

This old euphemism is a nod to the Roman goddess of love and fertility, Venus.

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Play nug-a-nug -

We're not sure where this one comes from, but some sources date the expression back to the 1500s.

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The culbatizing exercise -

This hilarious expression appears in the 16th-century book series 'Gargantua and Pantagruel' by François Rabelais.

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Take a flyer -

Flyers were actually shoes, so this is a reference to  having sex without taking one's shoes off, or indeed one's clothes.

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Tiff -

A tiff is used to describe an argument with someone, but also eating or drinking between meals. It's also 1800's slang for a "quickie."

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Make butter with one's tail -

Churning butter requires vigorous effort and repetition; a bit like sex, sometimes.

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Blanket hornpipe -

The Victorians did have some of the most brilliant euphemisms for sex, and this one is no exception.

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Amorous congress -

This polite term for engaging in sexual relations sounds magnificent and should definitely be brought back from the 1800s to the present day.

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Shaking of the sheets -

When the sheets shake, you know you're having a  good time!

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Have your corn ground -

Grinding corn was actually a pretty brutal process back in the day, where a stone would be used to pound corn repeatedly...

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Dance the Paphian jig -

The word Paphian pertains to the city of Paphos on Cyprus, sacred to Aphrodite (the goddess of love and sex). Paphian has, therefore,  a sexual connotation.

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Take a turn among the cabbages -

How funny is this one, right? We don't see it coming back though!

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Wind somebody's little ball of yarn -

A ball of yarn has been used as a symbol of virginity. There's even a folk song called 'The Little Ball of Yarn.'

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Riding or playing at St. George -

Riding St. George or playing at St. George is a reference to the story of St. George and the dragon. It essentially means the 'woman on top' position.

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Make whoopee -

This euphemism for sex dates back to the 1920s. A song called 'Makin' Whoopee' actually became a hit back in the late '20s.

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Haul someone's ashes -

To haul someone's ashes can mean beating someone up, but it can also mean having sex.

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Take a turn at Bushy Park -

Bushy Park is an actual park in Richmond upon Thames, England. Perhaps this is a reference to prostitutes that used to work in the area in Victorian times.

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Pierce the hogshead -

A hogshead is not a pig's head. It's actually a very large cask/barrel where liquid is held (i.e. wine, cider, etc.).

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Grope for trout in a peculiar river -

This saying dates all the way back to William Shakespeare's 1604 play 'Measure for Measure.' This euphemism has been interpreted in many ways. Was the playwright talking about giving a lady pleasure using one's hand?

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Labor leather -

Turning animal hide into leather is labor intensive. So is keeping leather well maintained and smooth. Sounds like an intense and long love session to us!

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Put four quarters on the spit -

The four quarters have nothing to do with coins. Instead, they are reference to parts of the body. As for the spit, it's a (rather phallic) reference to the stick used to cook over fire.

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Engage in three to one (and bound to lose) -

This is actually a gambling metaphor used as an euphemism for sex. It was mostly used by men.

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Horizontal refreshment -

We're not sure where this one came from, but taking a break to have some ice cream in bed sounds like a great idea!

Sources: (Bustle) (Mental Floss)

See also: Aphrodisiac foods that will skyrocket your libido

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