AUGUST 24th: Vocab Words You Won't Learn Anywhere Else

Aug 24, originally uploaded by Kikigill.

Today's word is merkin. Do you know what one is? No, it's not King Arthur's lesser-known wizard! No, it's a pubic wig. Yup, I learned it from my sister recently (thanks, Sissy!) and found the whole concept fascinating. From Wikipedia:

"The Oxford Companion to the Body dates the origin of the pubic wig to 1450. 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.[4] The term is also applied to decorative – typically sequinned – patches commonly sold in sets with nipple tassels or "pasties", which are enjoying new popularity as part of the costume of new burlesque adult entertainment, and, according to NSOED, is also applied to fake vaginas."

So, imagine my surprise, when I was strolling by the local used bookstore and saw this book...Merkin Enchantment...hmmmm, wonder what that's about?