Word: french
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...about syphilis, advocating the use of layered linen during intercourse for more "adventurous" (read: promiscuous) men. Legendary lover Casanova wrote about his pitfalls with medieval condoms made of dried sheep gut, referring to them as "dead skins" in his memoir. Even so, condoms made of animal intestine - known as "French letters" in England and la capote anglaise (English riding coats) in France - remained popular for centuries, though always expensive and never easy to obtain, meaning the devices were often reused...
...farmers' market, where babushkas from nearby villages with woolly hats and dodgy teeth sell homegrown carrots and potatoes for 25˘ per pound. But look closer, and it's clear that even Lyudinovo isn't frozen in time. A shopping emporium that opened a year ago sells South Korean refrigerators, French yogurt and fake Italian pumps. Several houses are being built on the outskirts - the first new residential construction in more than a decade. And until recently there was plenty of work for everyone at the five factories that employ the bulk of the townsfolk. (See pictures of Russian aristocracy...
...swirling red-and-gold patterns on the walls and easy credit. Here, 450 people - mainly women in their 20s - sit side by side in booths and field calls from Russians wanting to borrow money. Most of the time the answer they give is a resounding yes. Owned by the French bank Société Générale, Rusfinance is aiming to build a massive presence in Russia. Back in Paris, SocGen's chief executive Frédéric Oudéa even talks about Russia becoming the bank's second biggest market after France...
...French Architect Jacques Ferrier is a big fan of concrete. He has used it extensively in his latest work, including his design of the French pavilion for the 2010 World's Fair in Shanghai, and believes it has strong aesthetic appeal. "It has a sensuality," he enthuses. "It evokes images of white minerality." Most of all, Ferrier praises concrete for its environmental friendliness. One of his concept projects is Hypergreen, a showcase tower with a curved, concrete lattice façade, designed to generate enough energy to meet most of its own needs...
...year off and the U.S. in the midst of a leadership vacuum on climate change (see below), progress out of Poznan will likely be slow and more about process than measurable targets. "Poznan was never going to be a conference where a spectacular outcome was to be expected," said French climate ambassador Brice Lalonde at the summit. "We hope for a spectacular outcome in Copenhagen next year. You can't expect a mouse to give birth to a mountain - it will only give birth to a mouse." (Translation: Small town, small summit, small expectations...