Would sir like something for the weekend?

"Something for the weekend" is a euphemism heard in barber shops, when the above phrase is used to enquire of a customer whether he would like a packet of condoms. Does anyone know how this phrase came about?

Solution 1:

It seems natural to me to be discreet about this topic. Given that a lot of dating happens on weekends, and a man at a barber might be cleaning up for a date, a discreet add-on sale seems like a natural thing to occur. If the customer can infer the barber's meaning ("some.... what? combs?... for the weekend... because I'll be ... combing my hair?... OH! condoms!") then this phrase works well in tactfully promoting a product that lots of people might not want to discuss. The service industries often have many such phrases. For example, when a tailor asks if you "dress left or right".