one night with Venus, a lifetime with Mercury
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
A single sexual encounter can lead to a lifetime of disease and treatment.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
Một cuộc gặp gỡ tình dục có thể dẫn đến bệnh tật và điều trị suốt đời
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
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'.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “one night with Venus, a lifetime with Mercury” mean?
A single sexual encounter can lead to a lifetime of disease and treatment.
Is “one night with Venus, a lifetime with Mercury” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.