ladies of the evening
Women selling sex
Ladies of the evening is a euphemism for prostitutes—women who exchange sex for money.
The phrase sounds genteel and old-fashioned, often used with ironic delicacy or to avoid blunter terms: The hotel bar attracted ladies of the evening.
It evokes a bygone era of veiled references to the sex trade.
- courtesanPaid aristocratic companion
- decriminalizationEnding criminal status
- escortOne who accompanies another
- happy endingStory concludes well
- call girlHired sexual companion
taboo · red-light district · red light · street corner · labor rights · madam · legalization · streetwalker · stigma · advocacy groups · working girl · exploitation · concubine · scarlet woman · Victorian era · oldest profession · human trafficking · harlot
ladies of the eveningvirgins
Sexually uninitiated people
nuns · celibates · matrons · vestal virgins · society ladies
ladies of the eveningsweethearts
Romantic partners, affectionately named
fiancées · wives · brides · girlfriends · life partners
ladies of the eveningschoolteachers
Classroom educators of children
nurses · governesses · Sunday school teachers · church ladies · missionaries