I appreciate that I have joined this debate some time after its completion. However, having asked my mother, as one does as you are living with her once more aged 39, whether she had been presented with the presidential merkin at her annual fine arts agm and to be met with a blank look, only to have failed to find any definition in the Oxford, Webster or any other less reputable tome, I was forced to the internet. You can only imagine my delight when the first site I ahppened across was that of Cecil’s. What an informed chap he is. My mother was reduced to a quivering wreck by the various descriptions and anecdotes about the aforementioned merkin and was genuinely surprised that the term has not entered her lexicon, being 60 something years young.
Having set the scene I would just like to add my little bit to this important debate, nay discussion. I was lucky enough on the weekend to be enjoying the company of some friends and imbibing some fine wine, whene the topic of the merkin naturally came into conversation. Some of you may doubt the obvious seque that such a topic might require to become part of a polite conversation, but one only has to consider socities obessesion with all things Brazillian to understand how such a topic may have stirred the intellectual juices (and that as far as we ever need to go with any discussion of things wet in a conversation relating to merkins) of those with a greater understanding of the historical context of al matters tonsular (sic - wrong I know, but someone wil correct me). The debate raged around the table about the relative benefits of the aforementioned merkin and gradually came round to two questions that were not able to be answered with any degree of clarity. Namely:
How did one attach the merkin?
Was the merkinn ever used for the pate, for those with hair of a tightly knit nature?
Given the presence of impressionable children and some dumb founded adults, the debate was never concluded to the satisfaction of any of those present. I would be grateful if those more knowledgable than I on the topic could solve the riddle.
Humbly yours
