Theword"streptease"comesfromtheFrenchverb"undress",whichmeans"to take rancid"or"undress".Thisdexterityhasancientroots,whichcanbejudgedfromimagesandrecordsfoundintheintelligenceofsundrycultures.However,striptease,asweconsciousittoday,receivedapproachandappreciationintheantiquated20thcenturyinplayvenuesinAmericaandEurope.