Merkin

A merkin (first use 1617)^[1] is a pubic wig. Merkins were originally worn by prostitutes after shaving their genitalia, and are now used as decorative items, erotic devices, or in films, by both men and women.

Contents 1 Origin of term 2 History 3 Contemporary use 4 Other usage of the term 5 References 6 External links

Origin of term

According to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language the term stems from a corruption of the obsolete word malkin, meaning a lower-class woman or mop, from the personal name Mall or Moll, themselves derived from Meri or Mary; -kin was used to form pet-names, e.g., Simkin from Simon.^[2][3] The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary concurs in this derivation.^[4]

History

The Oxford Companion to the Body dates the origin of the pubic wig to the 1450s. Women would shave their pubic hair and wear a merkin to combat pubic lice, and prostitutes would wear them to cover up signs of disease, such as syphilis.^[5]

"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.^[6] It has also been suggested that when male actors played female parts onstage, they would cover their genitals with a merkin so they could expose themselves as women in nude scenes.^[7]

Contemporary use

In Hollywood film making, merkins are worn by actors and actresses to prevent inadvertent exposure of the genitalia during nude or semi-nude scenes. If a merkin were not worn, it would be necessary to restrict the shot to exclude the genital area; with the merkin in place, brief flashes of the crotch can be used if necessary. The presence of the merkin protects the actor from inadvertently performing 'full-frontal' nudity – some contracts specifically require that nipples and genitals be covered in some way – which can help ensure that the film achieves a less restrictive MPAA rating.^[8]

A merkin may also be used if the actor has less pubic hair than required, such as the nude dancing extras in The Bank Job, Amy Landecker in A Serious Man (for a nude sunbathing scene, as the actress' bikini wax was not common for the period (1967) when the film is set),^[9][10] and female slaves in Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Lucy Lawless was fitted for a merkin for Spartacus, but did not actually use it.^[11] In an interview for Allure, Kate Winslet related how she refused to wear a merkin in The Reader.^[12][10]

At the São Paulo Fashion Week in 2010, design firm Neon dressed a nude model in transparent plastic. According to the designer, the model wore a pubic wig to make her appear more natural.^[13]

Other usage of the term

• The term can be used in an obscure sense to refer to the vulva.^[14]

• In Europe, the term has also been in common usage as a jocular term for an American since the 1960s, as it sounds like the half-swallowed pronunciation of "American" by some Americans, particularly Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and George W. Bush. The OED reports that the term has become common internet slang for Americans or American English.^[15]

• More recently the removable sheepskin headband found on the inside of safety hardhats are referred to as merkins by many in the mining industry of Western Australia.

• The popular saltwater fly fishing fly, used primarily in targeting bonefish and permit, Del Brown's Merkin^[16] is also named after the artificial hair piece. The Merkin fly pattern represents a crab, referencing the merkin's historical use for pubic lice (also colloquially known as crabs). Further, Del's Merkin is tied with a disc of fuzzy yarn, imitating the crab's shell but also reminiscent of the fly's namesake.^[17]

References

External links

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