Merkin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A merkin (first use, according to the OED, 1617) is a pubic wig, originally worn by prostitutes after shaving their genitalia to eliminate lice or disguise the marks of syphilis. There are many different ways of wearing a merkin, although most involve placing the merkin on the vulva or the scrotum.

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The term is also applied to decorative (typically sequinned) patches commonly sold in sets with nipple tassels or "pasties" and are enjoying new popularity as part of the costume of new burlesque adult entertainment.

Houghton Mifflin's American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition describes the term's etymology as stemming from an "alteration of obsolete malkin, lower-class woman, mop, from Middle English; from Malkin, diminutive of the personal name Matilda."^[2]

It has also been suggested that, in the period when boy actors played female parts, they would cover their genitals with a merkin so they could expose themselves as women in bawdy scenes.^[3]

A "short and curly history of the merkin" in The Guardian provided a partial history of the merkin. It highlighted "comedy terrorist" Aaron Barschak's flashing of a merkin to onlookers. ^[4]

Contents 1 Other definitions 2 Merkins in popular culture 3 External links 4 References

[edit] Other definitions

The term has also been dated to 1449. The merkin was used primarily to the purpose of detecting or deterring pubic lice.

A vertical aerodynamic fin called the Merkin first saw its use in Formula One on the Williams FW22A (2000) (as named by Chief Aerodynamicist Geoff Willis), although this name was changed to the more common name of "Forward Guide Vane" after higher authorities found out its true meaning.

"Merkin" is also used to refer to a male sex-toy in the humorous novels of Tom Sharpe. Both the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary and The Joy of Sex define the Merkin as an "artificial vagina."^[5]

In gay slang, "merkin" may refer to a man who acts as the date for, or even marries, a lesbian — usually for the purpose of making her appear heterosexual for various social reasons.^[6] Compare with "beard": a woman who has a relationship with a gay man for the purpose of making him appear straight.

On certain Usenet groups, "merkin" or 'merkin can be used to refer to Americans in general, especially those who exhibit "ugly American" tendencies. The term is derived from a rendering of the American English pronunciation of the word "American". This usage is fully aware of the standard definition.^[7]

Merkin is also the name of the Merrick summer Lacrosse League.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Merkins in popular culture

The term merkin is used frequently in literature, film, music, and art as an inside joke. Several examples of this include:

• The narrator, Humbert Humbert, in Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita (1955), recalls, "Although I told myself I was looking merely for a soothing presence, a glorified pot-au-feu, an animated merkin, what really attracted me to Valeria was the imitation she gave of a little girl."

• Pynchon, in Gravity's Rainbow, says, "He wears a false cunt and merkin of sable both handcrafted...by the notorious Mme. Ophir."

• The character of President Merkin Muffley, played by Peter Sellers in Stanley Kubrick's black comedy Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is satirically named after this object. Coupled with his last name, "muff" being slang for pubic hair.

• The 1969 film Can Hieronymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness? written by and starring Anthony Newley, is a veritable cornucopia of dirty-joke names. In addition to the two in the title, there's a character (played by Joan Collins), named Polyester Poontang.

• Pearl Jam and Neil Young released a two-song companion to Mirror Ball called Merkin Ball.

• Australian talk show host Rove McManus jokes frequently on his show about merkins including wearing a shirt for the Merkins basketball team.

• In the film PCU there is a fictional band named The Merkins.

• In the late 90s an email containing complaints about email forwards was circulated as being written by a young man named Alfonso Merkin.

• Rob Corddry (previously of the The Daily Show) was a member of an improv group named "Merkin" because his mother used an albino merkin in her college Vaudeville and Ragtime show.

• "Merkin" is the name of a character in the Sandman comic book.

• In an episode of Family Guy, a sports agent offers Joe Swanson a car, his pants and a merkin so that he will sign with him.

• Maynard James Keenan of Tool owns Merkin Vineyards in Arizona.

• On the 1967 Chess LP The Baroques by the Milwaukee band of the same name, the word "merkin" is heard in the song "Bicycle." The lyric is "...I'll take back the merkin I gave you for Christmas, and you'll be sorry when the wind gets cold, 'cause it'll be hanging from the aerial of my bicycle...."

• On The Sopranos' Episode 26 (Season Two), "Funhouse", Tony comes home with a garment bag that supposedly contains his new suit. He reveals his surprise gift of a fur coat to his wife, Carmela, by unzipping the bag and exclaiming, "Holy shit! My suit's grown a fuckin' beard! ... Growin' a beard or a merkin or somethin'!"

• In episode 86 of Sex and the City, entitled "One," Kim Cattrall wears a bright orange merkin that resembles a clown's wig during a scene in which her character, Samantha Jones, discovers that her attempt to color her pubic hair has gone awry. Michael Patrick King , the show's Executive Producer, mentions this on the DVD's audio commentary track.

• Charles Fleischer did a bit in one of his stand-up routines explaining what a merkin was, and then continued it to rhyming extremes: "...if you put on that merkin, he'll be smirkin', and lurkin', and jerkin' his gherkin..."

• In Season 4 of The L Word, character Stacy Merkin, played by Heather Matarazzo, reviews Jenny Schecter's book. Jenny begins referring to Merkin simply as "vagina wig" for several episodes, as well as explaining the meaning of the last name.

• The indie rock outfit, Destruction Island, has released an album called "Mouthful of Merkin."

• In the 2007-09-17 edition of the webcomic Achewood, Ray is shown after having bought a merkin on eBay for unspecified reasons.^[8]

• The Austin, Texas, band the Pocket Fishermen have a merkin song cycle on their 1998 release Simian Dreams. These songs include "Medieval Merkin", "American Merkin", and "David of the Merkin".

• In the episode of the Simpsons titled "Margical History Tour" (Season 15, Episode 11), a Bart-esque character is seen asking a character resembling Homer if he has been "jerkin'" his merkin too frequently.
• A US Army aviation unit in Viet Nam (Aviation Section, HHC, 3rd Brigade, 9th Infantry Division) used Merkin as a radio call sign. The unit had four UH-1H Huey and four OH-6A LOH helicopters. It was based at Tan An, SW of Saigon on Highway One.

• In a filming of ESPN GameDay, a fan was spotted holding a sign that read "Lee Corso wears a Merkin"

• In Richard Dresser's play Below The Belt, one of the characters is named Merkin. The playwright did this intentionally, wanting the character's name to represent the idea of concealment in a vulgar way.

• In series 4 episode 4 of QI Rory Bremner used the term when imitating George Bush "I'm proud to be a merkin"

• In "Debbie Does Dallas - The Musical" a song entitled 'The Dildo Rag' has lyrics "And now that candle's workin' just stick it through your merkin."

• On November 28, 2007, Keith Olbermann stated that maybe Britney Spears would use the wig, she reportedly stole from a Hustler store, as a merkin.

• On November 30, 2007, Chris and Mel from Movin 107.5's morning radio show in Dallas, TX suggested getting Britney Spears a merkin.

• In the music video titled "Workin it" by Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Merkin is used as a verb; "Workin it, Merkin it".

[edit] External links

• Straight Dope article on merkins
• Alt-usage-english.org Michael B. Quinion and Ruth Bygrave, "Merkin"
• Live Pelt

[edit] References