gigolo /ˈʒɪɡəˌləʊ/
n ( pl -los)- a man who is kept by a woman, esp an older woman
- a man who is paid to dance with or escort women
In the 1920s, the word gigolo came into vogue to describe a paid (male) escort. The gig (!) did not necessarily imply sexual services.
Gigolettes need not apply
By this point, the term gigolo was cheerfully sexist. Ironically, however, the etymology tracks back to gigolette - a French slang term coined in the mid-Nineteenth Century.
A gigolette was a small boned cut of meat - the unflattering association was with the feminine form. The word also displayed reverse discrimination, only applying to females.
Popular culture
In 1934, the introduction of the Hays Code meant that open references to gigolos and/or gigollettes could not get past the censors. There was a 1935 Hollywood feature film with the name on the posters, but an influential film journal described the whole concept as 'sordid'.
The climate was less censorious in popular song. Luis Primo's Just a Gigolo was a huge hit. And Mark Steyn points out that both the male and female versions are there in the refrain of a 1930s song, The Boulevard of Broken Dreams, a staple of Tony Bennett's repertoire.
The boulevard of broken dreams
Where gigolo and gigolette
Can take a kiss without regret
On this occasion, the late, great Mr Bennett is joined by Sting: