Did you know that women never wore knickers until the late 18th century? That Cleopatra reputedly invented the first vibrator? The rather odd history of the condom? What it means to give someone a green gown?and who was the first person to join the mile-high club? Within this paean to the world's favourite pastime, you will discover: • The "perils of self-pollution" • Why Popes had to have their scrotums felt • What Buckinger's boot and Omar the tent maker are • The whereabouts of John Dillinger's dong and Rasputin's rump splitter • What does "to arrive at the end of a sentimental journey" mean? • How do you restore your virginity? You'll find the answers to these questions, as well as handy Medieval sex tips?and let's not forget the woman who had 130 orgasms in an hour. And while we're at it, what on earth does the armadillo got to do with the missionary position? A Splendidly Smutty Dictionary of Sex covers an array of historical characters and their sex lives?from Chaucer to Wallis Simpson, from Rockefeller to a future king of England. Together with the definitive histories of vibrators, the merkin and the word "f--k" amongst others, this is the must have book of the year!