During
World War I, American
soldiers stationed in
France were introduced to the wonders of
oral sex by eager local
prostitutes. This was probably not the first instance of a
red-blooded American engaging in
oral activity, but neither was
fellatio exceptionally well-known among
Iowa farm boys in the
1910s. The soldiers nicknamed the
procedure thus and merrily returned to the
US of A, where they proceeded to request it from less than eager American prostitutes, not to mention their wives and sweethearts. In later decades the meaning of this
idiom was somewhat modified and its present status was obtained.
Also known as: French job, French head job, French tricks and the French way.