Come to my place and see my etchings, baby.

[Abdul Alhazred]

OK it's a stupid cliche and a losing pick-up line. In fact it was the stereotypical cliche losing pick-up line. Or was thirty or so years ago.

But where did it come from?

Why etchings? Was there a time and place where having etchings was considered attractive? Was "etchings" a code word?

Did anybody ever use this line and get lucky?

Did anybody ever really use this line at all? Not counting ironically.

Is it from some work of literature, but I'm not well read enough to know? Or an allusion to some individual?

I want to know. :D

[Bikewer]

I don't know the origin, but I've always seen it as a code word for erotic art.

It's been around for a very long time , the line occurs in the song "Have some Madiera, My Dear", recorded back in the 60's by the Limelighters, and is apparently a much older tune than that.

A quick bit of googling gave references to erotic etchings going back to the mid 1800s at least.

[Bluegill]

Originally posted by Bikewer
I don't know the origin, but I've always seen it as a code word for erotic art.

It's been around for a very long time , the line occurs in the song "Have some Madiera, My Dear", recorded back in the 60's by the Limelighters, and is apparently a much older tune than that.

A quick bit of googling gave references to erotic etchings going back to the mid 1800s at least.

I also seem to recall learning in a printmaking class that, in some centuries between now and whenever (I'm thinking 1700s and 1800s), etchings were considered highly collectible. It was a gentlemanly pursuit. People would get lots and lots of them in books and folders. You didn't have to be especially wealthy, because etchings were cheaper and more portable than, say, paintings.

A sophisticated thing to do was to have the other sophisticated people over and, after dinner, break out the sherry or port or whatever, and have your guests come upstairs to see your new etchings. People would ooh and ahh over the line quality, the fact that you got the first print from the plate from a new artist or a genuine old Rembrandt, and then you'd feel even more sophisticated.

I don't know how the "come-on line" connotation got started, but you can see how it could have its roots in trying to impress some chick.