Though your little brother may settle for an erector set or a Lionel train, you may have a tough time finding a present for your room-mate, father, (or if you're from Radcliffe) your Harvard beau.

You probably won't rake up a Ford Convertible or 1000 shares of AT&T to decorate the Christmas tree, but can hardly go wrong if you present long-playing records--especially "I Can Hear It Now," which heads the list of what to give to parents, followed by an LP record player. Then again, there are few men who can face a bottle of Scotch without a twinge of Christmas spirit. Another good idea is a silver flask to accompany the above.

If you get caught in the final rush there is nothing like an electric razor or a shaving brush to save the day. Women in such a predicament can easily rush to the corner drug store for potions like Lilac Vegetalor or Old Spice Shaving Lather.

Females can serve a very useful purpose at Christmas time: several Harvard men have admitted that they would never buy pink shirts themselves, but would be overjoyed to get one from the fairer sex.

Unfortunately some Harvard students are harder to please. Large numbers are hoping for Jeep exhaust pipes, a new carburetor, a metal top, or a radio for their cars. Other much-wanted items, which are more likely to be found, are sweaters, cigarette cases, cufflinks, tie clasps, scarves, socks, good books, and neckties.

Though men like socks, according to an informal poll, Harvard men are wary of hand-knitted argyle socks: they are too flashy, require luxurious care, usually don't fit and are never adequately reinforced. Unfortunately these vital statistics apparently come too late, as another informal poll showed knitting arglye socks and neckties the chief occupation at Radcliffe.

Then there are a few things that are expensive: portable typewriters, Glenn plaid suits, watches, Meerscaum pipes, and trench coats.

"The most thoughtful present I ever got" said one Harvard grad "was some sonnets a Wellesley girl wrote me and illuminated on parchment." This statement is another version of the old line that the thought behind the gift is most important; that this form of reasoning still prevails is evidenced by local sales of soup tourines, rare prints, and several copies of the US camera annual.

Browsing around the Square, with an eye out for anything interesting, may be an easier way out. The Krockodiloes album, a book of Abner Dean or Charles Adams cartoons are pretty good possibilities.

For the athletic room-mate all sorts of ski equipment can be produced, and for the man who wants only four A's for Christmas, you might make a slight gesture in the form of an alarm clock. The guy who is looking for a blond may find that he will cut a much gayer figure in a nylon shirt, a suede or plaid vest and a new hat. All this apparel is filling up a lot of women's Christmas lists.

A fairly new institution, known as "the liquor of the month club" will provide a variation for those who are disgusted with perenial Esquire calendars, handkerchiefs, and cigarette lighters.