merkin

See also: Merkin

English

Etymology 1

1617, probably a variant form of malkin, from Malde +‎ -kin.

Pronunciation

• (British) IPA^(key): /ˈmɜːkɪn/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Audio (US):

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• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)kɪn

Noun

merkin (plural merkins)

1. A woman's pubic wig. Worn for nude stage appearances and by women, originally after shaving their pubic hair to eliminate lice or for other reasons, now often as a fashion item.
   • 1973, Thomas Pynchon, Gravity's Rainbow:

     ... his penis squashed invisible under a flesh-colored leather jockstrap, over which he wears a false cunt and merkin of sable both handcrafted in Berlin by the notorious Mme. Ophir, the mock labia and bright purple clitoris molded of — Madame had been abject, pleading shortage — synthetic rubber and Mipolam, the new polyvinyl chloride...

2. A mop for cleaning cannon.
3. (LGBTQ, slang) The male counterpart of a beard, a companion to a lesbian to feign her straightness.
   • 1996 January 10, Colin Wright, “Tori Spelling & Patrick Muldoon on NBC Movie”, in alt.showbiz.gossip‎^[1] (Usenet):

     Well, I seem to recall Tori and Patrick being seen together, and a reference in People comes to mind, with a photo attached. I'm not for sure that Patrick is completely gay, but he's at least bi according to a person I know with first hand experience. Perhaps we have a dual merkin-beard relationship here, eh?

Translations

pubic wig

• Dutch: schaampruik f
• German: Schamhaartoupet
• Italian: merkin m
• Macedonian: срамна перика f (sramna perika)
• Spanish: peluca púbica f

See also

• codpiece

Etymology 2

Representing an aphetic pronunciation of American.

Alternative forms

• 'merkin, Merkin, 'Merkin, murkin, 'murkin, Murkin, 'Murkin

Noun

merkin (plural merkins)

2. (British, slang, derogatory) An American.
   • 1998 January 15, Vasilisha, “Internet Oracularities Digest #973”, in rec.humor.oracle.d‎^[2] (Usenet):

     For all you non-'merkins: Most 'merkins are idiots, just like the residents of your country. See, most people are idiots. We just have idiots with a higher average income than you do, so they can afford to be better cretins.

   • 2000 August 2, John Monrad, “One group's thoughts”, in talk.origins‎^[3] (Usenet):

     It is, unfortunately, an all-to-common assumption -- sort of like assuming that all posters here are 'merkins. Perhaps it's best to assume that all posters are vertebrates (I was going to type primates, but one of my neutered cats sent a post awhile^[sic] back).

   • 2000 December 29, RampRat, “making money from stupid Murkins”, in alt.nuke.the.british‎^[4] (Usenet):

     There is a brand of cheap, nasty aftershave over in Britain caller Que. About two quid a bottle and it's foul. Buy some and fly to Noo Yawk. Then sell it to a Murkin for forty bucks. Tell them it is Calvin Klein's British version.

   • 2002 June 23, John of Aix, “Where Did The Merkin Footballers Go?”, in alt.nuke.the.usa‎^[5] (Usenet):

     Well he did say he doesn't follow the sport so it is understandable that he isn't aware of the four year rotation (soon to be changed to 2 years if FIFA (the internatinal football body for you unknowing merkins) have their way). I couldn't tell you sod all about the 'World' Series as I don't follow Baseball.

Anagrams

• mirken

Finnish

Noun

merkin

1. genitive singular of merkki

Icelandic

Noun

merkin

1. definite nominative plural of merki
2. definite accusative plural of merki