14 SEPTEMBER 2002, Page 71

Q. A rnerkin, I recently learnt during a convivial evening,

is an 18th-century word for a pubic wig for ladies. On what occasions, if any, is it correct for these to be worn?

M. McM, by email

A. A merkin is, indeed, a pubic wig, but its correct use is restricted to youths taking part in their bar mitzvah ceremony, where it is worn to symbolise maturity.

Mary Killen

If you have a problem write, to Dear Mary, c/o The Spectator, 56 Doughty Street, London WCIN 2LL.