Since no one else has commented I thought I'd add a tangent which I found interesting when I learned of it: The origins of the euphemism "nailing" to refer to

Since no one else has commented I thought I'd add a tangent which I found interesting when I learned of it: The origins of the euphemism "nailing" to refer to having sex comes from ~1800 when HMS Dolphin was in harbor at Tahiti: The relationships became particularly friendly when the sailors discovered that the women were eager to exchange sex for iron. This trade became so extensive that the loss of nails started to threaten Dolphin's physical integrity. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Dolphin_(1751) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Dolphin_(1751)