i live for this sort of thing, you know

The more you know...

Word of the day - Merkin.

So there is this book in the bathroom--sometimes there aer many, but right now, there's one that's called Toilet something for reading whilst performing your--functions. And I learned eight new and truly useless words. I laughed at this one, and then I hit google and realized there is a goddamn industry for it. In real life!

So you know, like the typevoring of yore that had several of you trying to contract my death, I thought we could all use this to add to our active vocabulary. I have no clue when you would use it, but I'm confident someone will find a way. Like for scrabble!

...seriously, someone use this in scrabble and send me a picture. This would make me eternally happy. For a week at least.

Comments

[elenlilta.livejournal.com]

There's a flight attendant with my company who actually calls himself Merkin. It's written on his wings, he uses it over the PA, and then drops it into as many random conversations as possible. It's at once awesome and a little disturbing.

[seperis.livejournal.com]

*hysterics* Oh man yes, awesome and disturbing.

[thespatz.livejournal.com]

My college roommates and I had a small cactus that lived on our kitchen table, and it was drunkenly dubbed Merkin. It was a learning experience for me, as well. ;)

[seperis.livejournal.com]

It's weird how this stuff happens. I am also quietly dying at Merkin the Cactus.

[aurora]

.... My brain cannot handle this right now.

[seperis.livejournal.com]

*pets* It hit me from nowhere. Damn google for knowing all!

[claire.livejournal.com]

I once used it in a game of hangman in English in High School. I got in trouble :/

[seperis.livejournal.com]

...omg really? *HAPPY* That is incredibly cool.

[claire.livejournal.com]

My teacher didn't think so ;)

[feochadn.livejournal.com]

My brother-in-law's rock band is called "Velcro Merkin." Never fails to crack me up.

[seperis.livejournal.com]

*dies slowly* That is beyond awesome.

[anjak-j.livejournal.com]

*waits for Rule 34 to be invoked*

[beadattitude.livejournal.com]

Wow, did you see where Kate Winslet had to wear one for a movie? Boy, I bet that makeup session was embarrassing.

[elandrialore.livejournal.com]

That is one of the many reasons why this interview cracks me up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYmfyVEnfB8

[aurora]

I will never be able to look at that clip in the same way again!! :D

[elandrialore.livejournal.com]

It definitely made me do a double take. And for two guys who have a rivalry rooted in the mastery of the English language, I'm betting that they knew what it meant too;)

[kernezelda]

I only recognized this word as a name in The Sandman. Now knowing this original meaning makes me quite, quite sure Gaiman knew it, too.

[ratcreature]

Hee. In English you have the best words. New and unrelated ones for anything. In German we boringly call this a "Schamhaarperücke" i.e. you simply say a "pubic hair wig" without any mystery...

[sciwitch.livejournal.com]

My friend, a well known crossword puzzle editor named his min-pin Merkin. His redneck neighbor complimented him on his patriotism.

This is the same guy (friend, not neighbor) who won a $5000 bet that he could get a personalized license plate with a curse word on it - tihz wa - which makes no sense unless he driving behind you and you see it in your rear view mirror.

[naughtyoldlady.livejournal.com]

Love it...and of course, there's always this one: http://www.snopes.com/photos/risque/license.asp

[ellixis.livejournal.com]

I used this as an insult as a kid, much to the puzzlement of those i aimed it at.

[trobadora]

You've never been in Discworld fandom, have you? :D

[misstrixi.livejournal.com]

Exactly what I thought! Ah, the golden days of afp...

[trobadora]

:D :D :D

*gets nostalgic* I wonder if AFP's still active ...

[jenna-thorn.livejournal.com]

The Spring 09 edition of my favorite crafting blog was dedicated to Merkins, in fact.

With several projects. (http://www.theanticraft.com/archive/beltane09/mermaidkin.htm)

edited to add a NSFW warning. The one I linked to isn't modeled on a person, but others are, if you explore.

[lurkerlynne.livejournal.com]

My first thought upon reading 'Merkin' was 'there's a name for Merlin's family? o_O' XD The second was to laugh like a loon.

That there is such a thing does not surprise me at all. What does surprise me is that I've not heard of it until now. :p

It's stuff like this that will win you scrabble games, yes indeedy.

[bunglegirl.livejournal.com]

A guy I did some freelance work for gave me one of his old computers but I needed his password to write over the OS. His password? Merkin.

[celli]

...!

[aquila1nz.livejournal.com]

Ah, see merkin is a word I've known for years, thanks to Xena fandom (because the piece of fur on the end of Gab's staff was known in fandom as her merkin) and later femslash fandom at large, because merkin gets used as the lesbian version of a beard.

http://www.google.co.nz/#hl=en&q=%2Bmerkin+%2Bbeard

[wynddancer.livejournal.com]

LOL. I learned it due to a tv show that I don't remember the name of--it was about a woman who learned one of her ex boyfriends was her soulmate so she had to go back and re-date them to find him.

Anyway, in one episode one of her friends had a naked pubic area and her husband complained about it. So she bought a merkin and attached it to her genital area.........only she attached it sideways and had to get her friend (the soulmate seeker) to get it off of her.........I lol'ed at it. I, too, had to look it up on Google.......