Meaning of one night with Venus, a lifetime with Mercury | Babel Free

Definitions

A single sexual encounter can lead to a lifetime of disease and treatment.

Examples

“An eminent physiologist, in the bad old days when Salvarsan and certain other Hg compounds were the only known remedy for venereal diseases, is said to have warned his students that 'One night with Venus may mean a lifetime with Mercury'.”

“Vincent had opted for the mercury treatment, while Theo, afraid of the time involved ("One night with Venus, a lifetime with mercury')...”

“Early treatments with metals (arsenic, bismuth, mercury) led to the cynical summary of syphilitic infection as 'one night with Venus, a lifetime with Mercury'.”

“Many Welsh people had cause to regret the fact that, for one night of bliss with Venus, they spent a lifetime of regret with Mercury.”

“But he knew better than to get his hopes up. As the old saying went: one night in Venus and a lifetime of Mercury.”

CEFR level