# Putin's a prostitute?  What?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putins-a-prostitute-what/123089>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [August 9, 2002, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putins-a-prostitute-what/123089 "2002-08-09T03:49:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putins-a-prostitute-what/123089/21 "2002-08-12T04:46:27Z")

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Zoggie, your account of “baiser” is not quite right. Here’s how it goes:

“Baisser” means to lower, and has nothing to do with the discussion.

The noun “baiser” means a kiss. The verb “baiser” means to fuck (to kiss is “embrasser”; a fuck is “une baise”, at least in Quebec). What makes our lives difficult is the fact that “baiser” is often listed as “to kiss” in dictionaries that are apparently totally unaware of the language as it is spoken anywhere; and also the fact that “baiser” = “to kiss” can be found in many older texts.

Don’t feel bad… I made the same mistake. Once.

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**Author:** ![Treviathan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/838e76/32.png) [@Treviathan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treviathan)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putins-a-prostitute-what/123089/22 "2002-08-12T06:02:47Z")

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We all tittered our way through Grade 8 when we learned that “a seal,” in French, was “une phoque.” Pronounced as one would assume.

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