Recent discussion elsewhere disclosed that the longer threads are becoming more difficult for some of us to handle so, as your benevolent and all-seeing Emperor, I hereby declare the Double Dactyl thread reopened here.

This week's effort:

Don't Worry, Ben. You Can Still Be Her Fourth Husband.

Higgledy, Piggledy,
J. Lo and Anthony
Super celebrities
(to some extent)

Wedded in secret so
Documentarians
Scrambled to cover this
Boring event.


(editted to correct spelling error - sorry!)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Chris J. Strolin,

Very few words in the English language contain two Q's but one of them, "quinquagenarian," is defined as either someone who is 50 years old or in their fifties. So...

I Coulda Been a Contendah...

Higgledy Piggledy
O-E-D-I-L-F,
Writing a lim'rick can
Bring me such bliss!

Now I'm an editor,
Quinquagenarian.
52 years and they've
Led me to this?!


Kalleh has said that writing DDs are much easier for her than limericks, something I find astounding. To me, the subject line and that 6th (usually) one-word-six-syllable-DAH-da-da-DAH-da-da word line are killers.

As I mentioned before, I am going to try to maintain a one-DD-per-week schedule. This should last at least another half a month since I recently stumbled over two new (for me, anyway) perfect DD names.

Anyone else out there still moved to slap together a DD or two?

Well...they're not easy. For me the hardest part is the subject line, and some people are very anal about it only being a person's name.

However, I do find them easier than limericks, for some reason. I think it is because they don't deviate from the rules, whereas with limericks you can add a syllable here and there, as long as it doesn't affect the meter. My problem is that my added syllables sometimes ruin the rhythm.

Still, I do have trouble coming up with the subject line. Jerry and I had a laugh when I visited him because one of his guests had the perfect DD name, and he didn't even know!

Dribbely, Dribbely
Richard D. Hamilton,
New to the Pistons, did
Give us a treat.
Multiathletically,
He and his teammates did
Dominate play in the
Laker's defeat!

As CJ would say, Woo Hoo! It couldn't have happened to a nicer team!

[I know that no one here likes basketball, nor are there even many sports fans....but I had to comment about the demise of my favorite-hated team!]

I have no idea what Richard Hamilton's middle initial is...and I know that "multiathetically" isn't a word. However, I had fun with this, and it took a whole lot less time than my "adjuvant therapy" limerick, which, let's face it, really isn't much good.

Kalleh,
Richard Hamilton's middle initial is "D"... stands for Dribble, his parents knew he'd be a star.

I love "multiathletically".... an athlete, multi-gifted. Let's add it to the QED.

Quote "...[I know that no one here likes basketball..."

I don't think it's a question of likes or dislikes more one of mutual incomprehension. It seems to me that many Americans are great supporters of their three main sports but it seems, too, that they are unaware that much of the rest of the world knows very little about them. (Remember the Michael Jordan exchanges?)

Similarly, although the sports-lovers of Europe are presently consumed with the progress and paraphenalia of the present European football cup, I suspect it has have very little coverage in the USA.

Although I support no sport and have little interest in any, I do know that most sports were originally invented in the UK - even those which the USA now claims as its own. I did once read a theory as to why this is but I can't now recall the details.

Firstly, no, you are wrong. The European football cup gets plenty of coverage here.

Secondly, yes, I do remember our Michael Jordan exchanges, though evidently differently from you, Richard. My recollection is that you were the only one here who hadn't heard of him.

I do know that most sports were originally invented in the UK
Now, why am I not surprised to hear that?

Richard, one can always tell when I have had a hard day. I always bring up "epicaricacy" again. When you have had a hard day, we usually see one of 2 things: 1) The Brits have invented everything, or 2) All Americans need to write "boss's" for the possessive form of "boss." You must have had one terrible day today because you have posted them both in one day!

Quote, "...the only one here who hadn't heard of him..."

If by "here" you mean the USA, then that's possibly true. If yor mean this board, then it's not true. At least one other Brit from our small number (Bob, I believe) had never heard of him.

And, so far as the invention of sports is concerned, I am not being chauvinistic here, simply accurate. I haven't checked dates etc., but I think you will find we invented rounders (baseball), football and rugby (American football) and netball (basketball). That's not even to menion such popular US sports as golf (still, amazingly, called golf in the USA) and snooker/billiards (pool).

It would be an interesting thread to look at the names and origins of sport, since many of them (golf, cricket, croquet) do not have names that in any way describe the activity.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Richard English,

quote:

---

Originally posted by Richard English:
Quote, "...the only one here who hadn't heard of him..."

If by "here" you mean the USA, then that's possibly true. If yor mean this board, then it's not true. At least one other Brit from our small number (Bob, I believe) had never heard of him.

---

Nope, I'd heard of him. I could even name his sport though that was about as far as I could go.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Richard English:
...but I think you will find we invented rounders (baseball), football and rugby (American football) and netball (basketball).

---

OK, baseball evolved from rounders but they're not all that closely related. Rounders, as I understand it, features a pitcher/catcher combination, fielders, bases, and the use of a bat and ball, and that's pretty much it as far as similarities are concerned. Baseball has exploding scoreboards, $5.00 hot dogs, and multi-million dollar salaries. Totally different sport, entirely.

And netball! NETBALL??!! Oh, R.E., don't make me come over there to slap you one! It is a widely known and universally acknowledged fact that Basketball (I'll even capitalize it, that's how sure I am!) was invented by Dr. James Naismith in 1892. Although the good doctor himself was Canadian, he was teaching at the time at Springfield College in Massachusetts. Of the 13 rules he set down for the game, I believe 11 or 12 are still used in professional play.

Two odd sidenotes:

1. The original ball used was a soccer ball (yes, yes, I know, "football" to you) and the goal was a peach basket. After every score, play had to be halted while someone came out with a step ladder to retrieve the ball.

2. The basketball hall of fame is officially named The Naismith Hall of Fame.


Netball, indeed! Are you sure you're not confusing this with volleyball or hockey or something?

ROTFLMAO. Netball (or women's basketball) was adapted by the British in 1901 from American game of basketball (for which dates see CJS' previous entry). Actually, everybody knows that the Russians invented cricket, baseball, basketball, football, soccer, croquet, and rugby. Though the British did invent curling, didn't they? or was that the Quebeckers. Oh, my.

This prompts reply and brings up another subject, but it would take us even farther away from the title of this thread. So I'm starting a new thread on sports origins.

Sorry, Shu, but I must say something here. However, I promise to end with a DD!

First, Richard, you were the only one not to have heard of Michael Jordan in that thread. While Graham had said, "Who is he again?", he later acknowledged that of course he had been kidding. I was so surprised, Richard, to think you hadn't heard of him that I even sent a PM to arnie asking if he thought that was possible. He replied that he thought it was since you say that you never read anything about sports.

That latter comment leads to my next. Richard, you are an authority here on various subjects, including English history, beer, travel, management, etc. However, even you had acknowledged that you didn't know anything about sports because you never read about it. Therefore, it makes it quite logical that you don't know from where the different sports evolved or were invented. Just makes sense.

Going back to the original intent of this thread, this DD was inspired by a PM that Jerry sent me several days ago:

Arsidy, Farsidy
Gluteus Maximus
Muscle of backside is
Not really crass.

Callipygosity,
beautiful buttocks, a
Compliment...better than,
"You're such an ass!"

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kalleh,

Quote "...Therefore, it makes it quite logical that you don't know from where the different sports evolved or were invented. Just makes sense..."

This would be quite true were it not for the fact that I did at one time research this and discovered, as I said, that the British invented most sports and the writer of the article actually gave his reasons as to why he felt this was. I didn't bother to check again when I posted I (hence my error about basketball) but it is easy enough to do, thanks now to Google, but originally yhanks to Guinness.

According to my own Guinness Book of Answers, the British invented the modern forms of the following sports (references to antiquity are probably misleading since, by that definition, Basketball was invented by the Mayans around 1000 BC):

Hockey (field hockey) 1875
Boxing, 1743
Athletics, 1810
Bowls 1300
Fox Hunting, popularised 18th century but extant previously)
Football (soccer) 1846
Golf, 1450
Cricket 1550
Yachting 1661
Baseball, 1700
Rowing, 1716
Fives, 1765
Shinty, 1770 (in Scotland, not Ireland)
Lawn Tennis, 1793
Raquets, 1798
Rugby, 1823
Croquet, 1856
Squash rackets, 1850
Canoeing, 1865
Water Polo, 1969
Darts (the modern board and scoring invented in Bury, Lancashire)
Badminton. 1870
Greyhound racing, 1876
Table tennis, 1879
Weightlifting, 1891
Motorcycle racing, 1897

In more recent times the USA has done rather better, having invented:
Ten-pin bowling in 1845 (to avoid a ban on the traditional German 9-pin type)
Rodeo, 1847
Tug-of War, 1879
Softball, 1887
Basketball and netball, as we know, in 1891 in Massachusetts, by the Canadian, Dr James Naismith.
Volleyball, 1895
Water skiing, 1900
Trampolining, 1936
Synchronised swimming, 1952 (why did they bother?)
Board sailing, 1964
Skate boarding, 1966

Of baseball and American Football in the full reference Guinness says of each:

American football evolved in American Universities in the second half of the 19th Century as a descendent from soccer and rugby as played in England.

Baseball. The nodern rules were introduced in New Jersey in 1846, although a game of the same name had been played in England prior to 1700.

Now, having strayed rather too far from my real areas of interest, I think I'd better try another Limerick!

Well, this is probably a pointless argument, but I think Shu was right in pointing out the difference between a sport being invented and evolving. If you think the sport is invented, then I suppose you have to go back to when the first culture invented the ball. Most sports would follow from there then.

Quote "...then I suppose you have to go back to when the first culture invented the ball. Most sports would follow from there then..."

I agree 100%. As I said, "references to antiquity are probably misleading since, by that definition, Basketball was invented by the Mayans around 1000 BC".

Just about every sport has some kind of ancient antecedent, even baseball (played in Mexico around 10BC). And it's not just ball games.

Modern wrestling was codified in France in 1860, but depictions appear on temple walls in Iraq dated 2700 BC. Coursing was established as a sport in England in 1067 but depictions appear in Egypt going back to 3000 BC. Boxing's first ring rules were set out in England in 1743 but the sport was known in Greece in 1520 BC.

My commentary was to do with modern variations and modern rules.

Back to double dactyls...


Here's One to Confuse the New People

Higgledy Piggledy
Ellen DeGeneres
Emmy in hand, may her
Fortunes increase.

Though she's a hit with most
Heterosexuals,
All things considered she's
No Pee Wee Reese!


Who is a writer's most important audience? Himself or herself, of course! If we took a poll and this DD was judged to be a loser by a score of 50 to 1, I would still consider it a success because I would be that lone favorable vote. I'm sorry but sometimes I just crack myself up.

This is an "in" joke, yes, but everyone is invited in on the joke. For some reason, ever since this site underwent a facelift a couple of months ago, I have been unable to post a link to other sections of this site or to other websites. I'll PM Arnie on this and a few other questions today.

In the meantime, anyone wishing to be filled in regarding the background of this piece, I refer you to the thread titled "A Quiz I'm Betting Arnie, Hab, or Shufitz WON'T Be Able to Get" in the Wordplay forum. It will be near the top of the list of titles.

The thread involves a challenge which is still open even though Ellen is the first new answer anyone's come up with for some time. Any input from our new posters? Or better yet, how about trying your hands at some double dactyls? They're murder and, at the same time, extremely enjoyable.

Complete rules are spelled out in several places within the "Double Dactyls Again" thread in this forum. You can find a concise list in my Feb 27, 2003 post of that thread. I've googled "Double Dactyls" and surfed the web quite a bit and have to say that I firmly believe that our Wordcraft DDs stand up with the best of them.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Chris J. Strolin,

Ode to OEDILF

Limery, Limery
Wordcrafter Christopher's
Writing his lim'ricks for
THE OED.

Will he accomplish this
Impossibility?
Stick around wordcrafters;
You will all see!

Note to wordcrafters: Even though CJ will be leaving us soon with his OEDILF project, I will keep you updated as to its progress.

Who says I'm leaving??

It's not as if I'm incapable of devoting time to more than one site at roughly the same time. Maybe this is Kalleh's subconscious way of saying that she looks forward to my departure. (BooHoo!)

Maybe this is Kalleh's subconscious way of saying that she looks forward to my departure. (BooHoo!)
Of course not...or I wouldn't have written you an "Ode!" However, I doubt you'll have much time for us when your project really starts heating up.

What is completely amazing to me is that you now have 2 pages (increasing daily) on Google about OEDILF, when just a few months ago there were none. You are becoming a real celebrity...and too good for us!

Not at all. And don't think I'll forget you in my Pulitzer acceptance speech.

Snickety Snarkety
Michael Moore's Fahrenheit
goes forth to theatres
dressed up for war:

"Bring it on boys; call me
anti-American,
then watch my customers
come back for Moore."


From earlier this month:

Starbalah Schmarbalah
Old Rabbi Phillip Berg
found that the brightest stars
beamed rays of light

into the realms of the
celebritocracy --
now the Madonna can
re-clothe in white.

Virge, it is nice to see you doing DDs, too!

Inspired by CJ...

Higgledy Piggledy
Joseph D. Pulitzer,
Recognized Publisher,
Really quite wise.

Logomaniacally,
Wrote for the newspapers,
Though he's best known for the
Pulitzer Prize.

Hello everyone - this is my first ever double dactyl, so please be gentle with me...

Semibreve Demibreve
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Thought a sonata might
Do just the trick.

Hoped to impress Countess
Unrealistically,
For if the truth be told
He made her sick.

I know Beethoven's a pretty popular subject but I don't care; I'm just happy to have thought of one! The "Countess" part refers to the fact that Mr B's Moonlight Sonata was dedicated to the Countess Julia Guicciardi. All necessary apologies to the deceased apply.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Cat,

Lovely, cat! I like it.

Could it be coincidental that each measure of that sonata has the the same rhythm of a ine of double dactyl?

Thank you! And how spooky - I'd never noticed that...

In this context I find it irresistible to avoid quoting the Classic Double Dactyl. The first one I ever heard or saw. Sort of like the liquor that generated that first wonderful binge in the life of an alcoholic.

Higgledy piggledy
Ludwig Van Beethoven,
Bored by requests for some
Music to hum,

Finally answered with
Oversimplicity,
"Here's my Fifth Symphony:
"Dum di di Dum."

Hoppity, Loppity
Little Red Riding Hood
Went to her grandmother's
House in the woods.

The Wolf has been treated quite
Anthropomorphically.
Caught in her grandmother's
Bed With the goods.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: jo,

Oh, Jo, what a great idea to use Little Red Riding Hood! I really love your first stanza and your 6-syllable word. With a little tweaking of the second verse, it is excellent!

So great to see some new people writing these!

Couchily grouchily.
Adler and Freud and Jung?
Here is a question that's
Troubling me:

Psychoanalyis:
How does it differ from
Saying confession (ex-
Cept for the fee)?

Tushery, Smushery
Christopher Isherwood
Wrote through the night 'til he
Nearly went blind.

Sesquipedalian
Dreams of Pygmalion
Montague, Capulet
ne'er crossed his mind.

Wow, Shu and Jo, those are wonderful!

Higgledy, Piggledy
Wordcrafter's Josephine
New to our forum, and
Posts with such flair!

Logomaniacally,
Writing our dactyls and
Bluffing our wordplayers.
Leave? Don't you dare!


Higgledy Piggledy
Cathryn of Birmingham,
New to our Board, a big
Thanks to our Bob!

Enthusiastically,
Wordcrafters welcome her
Wonderful talent here.
Leave? We will sob!

Note: I showed these to Shu, and he commented that they were a bit negative. Of course Cat and Jo will stay with us, he says! Well, I hope so. However, we have had the experience on Wordcraft where new posters often write a flurry of posts and then meander off. I am trying to prevent that! You two are real keepers!

Higgeldy Piggeldy
Romeo Montague
Juliette Capulet
Two bound to die.

Sent to their deaths by their
Hyperactivity
Rushing to judgment they
Made us all cry.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: jo,

Hogamus Pogamus
Titus Andronicus
Lost in obscurity.
Such a bad work.

Protoshakespearian?
William's first efforts? Or
Very bad history
Writ by a jerk?

Wow, Jo, you are good!

Have you written these before?

No... this is a new form for me. But I am finding it an amusing and distracting challenge. And I need both these days.

Wow, you are a real natural, Jo!

We have had fun with double dactyls here. I have often wondered if we might have the largest collection of them in existence, though I don't know. We have had about 4 separate threads of them. If you enjoy them, Hic developed a resource for them. As I am sure you have found out, it is that double dactyl name that is the stickler. You will find, as Shu and I have, that as you meet or read about people with double dactyl names, you will immediately be delighted!

Higgledy-Piggledy
Kalleh of Illinois
Wanted to welcome those
New to the board.

Cunningly wrote DD
Ultra-impressively
So I give thanks to you:
What a kind thought!

I know, not a proper DD, but I wanted to reply to Kalleh in kind, and it would've taken me yonks (=a very long time) to think up a suitable word for l6, after which time it would no longer be as relevant (and my mum always told me to write my thank-you notes sooner rater than later).

Hmm... when I was scribbling this on a piece of paper earlier I thought my "Kalleh of Illinois" line was rather good. Having just read a few more past DDs here, however, I see that CJ beat me to it ages ago. Dammit.

"CJ beat me to it ages ago. Dammit."

Surely you're setting your goals higher?

Yonks

I hadn't heard that for years (I mean yonks). Is it still current amongst the younger generation?

And I liked your DD - I'm not sure what the rule is for the 6-syllable word whether hyphenated words are acceptable or not. Having said which, I find I'm better with Limericks.

Now, do we have anyone who writes Clerihews?

Oh, thanks, Cat. Yes, DDs are daunting at first, but after you get the hang of them, they are sooo much fun. Thankfully "wordcrafter" is a dactyl, so for 2 syllable names with an emphasis on the first syllable (like "Kalleh") you can use "Kalleh" or "CJ" or "Richard," whatever, "of wordcrafter." I confess that I am a stickler about the meter with DDs, though I get looser with the name (some would abhor "Kalleh of wordcrafter"), and I do accept words like "ultra-impressively."

Oh, and, Shu, let's face it. CJ has written some damned good DDs here!

Higgedy Piggedy
Hook and Van Leeuwenhoek
Looked in their microscopes
Hoping to see

Conidiophorous
Wee little beasty bugs
Swimming and mating and
Sipping some tea.


Some liberties have been taken with the pronunciation of conidiophorous to adapt to the DD rhythm, with the accent on "co" rather than "nid".

Hoggle-dy Poggle-dy
Jennifer Connelly
Tackled the labyrinth,
Saved her kid bro.

Met David Bowie there
Megalomaniac
Defeated him with the
Help of Ludo.

OK, so the stress isn't perfect, but it's nearly 2am and I'm tired! I'm slaving over a hot PC with my friend Karl, and we're pooling our resources to come up with more DDs. So far we've got loads of unrelated lines that make for a fabulous resource bank but are pretty useless on their own...

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Cat,

jo, for your
"Higgedy Piggedy
Hook and Van Leeuwenhoek ... ,"
thank you.

---

Higgledy piggledy,
jo's lovely post about
Hook and Van Leeuwenhoek
Brings to recall

Previous post of how
Anton Van Leeuwenhoek
(Characterisically)
Loved his things small.

Note: The last line could alternately read: Loved; his thing's small. (Paint over this to view)

I'm enjoying the clever double dactyls here.

Ogre-ly Ogle-ly
Justin R. Timberlake:
Found in Fiona's room
(But not by choice)

When Andrew Adamson
Contemporarily
Placed a pop pun to the
Love of her voice.


Shrek 2 was loads of fun. For those who haven't seen the movie, there is a poster of Sir Justin in Princess Fiona's (voice by Cameron Diaz) room: a wink at Cameron's current real-life romance with Justin.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Virge,

Another one with "megalomaniac". I know this violates the "no repetition of words" rule, but I don't like that rule so choose to discard it

Webslinger Slebwinger
J Jonah Jameson
Wrote in his paper that
Spiderman sucked

Worry not fans, 'bout this
Megalomaniac
Wait 'till it's him in need,
Then he'll be f***ed.

Apologies if profanities are not allowed!

<edited to elminate the over-proliferation of the word "Spiderman">

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Cat,

Delightful, Cat!
I was planning on using Tobey the Spiderman for my next dd. I'll wait 'til I've seen Spiderman 2, which shouldn't be long as my son's itching to see it.

know this violates the "no repetition of words" rule, but I don't like that rule so choose to discard it
Cat, if we worried about repetition of words, we'd never be able to post new ones. That's one rule that I adamantly say is stupid! After all, how do we know what 6-syllable word may be used on some unknown site somewhere. Rules have to be realistic. I agree with you; I discard it, too.

BTW, I agree with Virge, Cat. Your Spiderman DD is wonderful!

guys. Maybe one day I'll be as prolific at writing DDs and limericks as you, Kalleh (I hope)!

I'm looking forward to seeing Spiderman 2 too. I'm just reading the multi-page spread on the film in Empire magazine. Much as I like independent or "thoughtful" cinema, there's always plenty of room for the odd blockbuster too...