tweak:

...keep me in laughter both
in voice and mind.

"...keep me in laughter
in voice and in mind."

(Yes, yes, move the second "in" to the previous line if you insist.)

Line 2 scans perfectly ("ca-LIE-o-pee"); the question is whether you accept the line as a person's name.

And I'm definitely on your side about post-season play.

quote:

---

Originally posted by haberdasher:
_tweak:_

Line 2 scans perfectly ("ca-LIE-o-pee"); the question is whether you accept the line as a person's name.

---

Thanks, Hab, that's what I was thinking.

ca-LIE-o-pee

Yes, I am wrong about that. Not sure what I was thinking! (Much like my apostrophes in plural names!)

No, CW, we don't have a naughty double dactyl thread. They are hard enough!

quote:

---

Originally posted by Kalleh:

No, CW, we don't have a naughty double dactyl thread. They are hard enough!

---

excellent pun!

excellent pun!

Sometimes my puns are by accident only.

After having a bit of a barren period with regard to double dactyls, I managed to come up with two yesterday, when I was desperately trying to think of a poem for my brother's birthday card (he and I started this tradition when we were kids of writing humorous - well, that's the idea! - verses in each other's birthday cards). I so wanted to write a double dactyl! He finds my love of them incredibly amusing, but I swear he's more interested in them than he lets on, being quite the master of amusing verse - after his sister, of course . Anyway, apart from the name (which I REALLY had to take liberties with), these aren't really specific to him - in the sense of it not therefore being in the least bit interesting to anyone else - so I thought it would be OK to post them here:

Birthily Wirthily
Baby bro Dave the Man
Having a birthday - you're
Now 26.

Now that you're almost an
Octogenarian,
Want me to wrap up your
Pipe and two sticks? (or: 'new walking sticks').

The one I went for was:

Birthily Wirthily,
Baby bro Dave the Man,
Looks like a monkey and
Smells like one too.

Although there's evidence
Genealogical,
Still can't believe I'm re-
-Lated to you.

Although the stress in L5 of the latter one isn't perfect (you have to say al-though), I was thrilled to see that the words from one of the many "Happy Birthday To You" variations* fit perfectly in the double dactyl meter.

And yes, my 6'2" 'baby brother' was most appreciative - he said he'd wondered if I was going to put a DD in this time .


*In case these many variations aren't as widespread as I imagine, this particular one goes:

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you, <or: Squashed tomatoes and stew>
You look like a monkey, <or animal of choice>
And you smell like one too.

Excellent, Cat! Actually, I may prefer the first one, though they are both great. For L5 of the second one, you could say, "Though there is evidence" I might like the first 4 lines of the first and the second 4 lines of the second the very best. That is:

Birthily Wirthily
Baby bro Dave the Man
Having a birthday - you're
Now 26.

Though there is evidence,
Genealogical,
Still can't believe I'm re-
-Lated to you


BTW, in Community we have a Birthday thread that we really should revive. The first year we did it I wrote limericks or double dactyls for everyone's birthdays. It was fun!

Kidderly Bidderly
Kalleh from Illinois
just about reaching
your 6,000th post!

All of your thoughts are now
agglomerational
gathered in bunches your
numbers are most!

Blabberly, Blabberly
Kalleh the aeolist,
though not so erudite,
Numbers she boasts.

While I'm not highbrow or
sesquipedalian,
Drink to my mind-boggling
Six thousand posts!

Thanks everyone!

Here's one I wrote for a friend and colleague here at the library. I took some liberties with the words (I'm like that), but I like the way it reads. Wish I could put a wav file here so you could hear how I intend for it to be read. Might cut down on the editorial comments I'm sure to get! hahahaha

BTW - Paul is 6'9", and I am 5'2" (on a good day)

Bookety Wookety
Mister Paul Marshall is
t'rrific'ly witty and
fab'lously tall, with

training and knowledge he's
uncategoric'lly
seen as a blessing to
one and to all

Paul is 6'9", and I am 5'2" (on a good day)

I knew we had a lot in common!

I used to be 5'2", with blue eyes no less. Now I am 5'1", though my eyes are still blue.

I'm 5'2" and eyes of blue, too!

I'm 5'8" with eyes of...erm...hazel/green. Doesn't work as well, does it?

Ooh - I was supposed to be going to make dinner, wasn't I? Bugger. Sidetracked again.

I have no idea what color my eyes are. Variegated? Mood ring?

Oh, you must know, CW! You're spoofing us. What's on your driver's license?

Cat, I am so jealous of your height!

I don't remember what is on my license! I went to find it and it's missing! YIKES!!!

Stickety Wickety
Silly old Caterwaul
lost her own license while
running around!

Hair color, eye color
unrecognizable!
Losing her marbles won't
run her aground.

Great, CW. By George, I think she's got it!

Ghostily, Roastily
Halloween Revelers
Dress in great costumes and
Yell "trick or treat."

Exhilaratedly,
Wordcrafter chatters dis-
Guised themselves, finding 4
Arnies to greet!

Let's see, Peter Stokes (Me!) Damien, Arnie and Arnie1 all claimed to be Arnie...maybe more, I can't remember!

You're an Arnie, I'm an Arnie, he's an Arnie, she's an Arnie, wouldn't you like to be an Arnie, too?

Okay...the following is political, I confess it. However, even a lot of the Conservatives (such as Kathleen Parker) are complaining, so it can't be too bad. Besides, I find this board so refreshing in that people here respect others' views. I have seen a few boards recently where the attempt at political correctness is just plain tedious. Really I don't mean to be offensive, but someone brought up the word "Machiavellian" recently, and I thought...a double dactyl word! This was all I could think of.

Higgledy Piggledy
House's Majority
Changed all the rules to keep
Thomas DeLay.

Even Conservatives
Called it deceitful and
Machiavellian.
What do you say?

Heltery Skeltery
Theodore Fujita,
Meteorologist,
Named the F-Scale.

Noncontroversially,
This scale will measure tor-
Nadic destruction, not,
Speed of the gale.

There are 2 problems. I don't like my 6-syllable word; any suggestions? I went through all of Hic's and still couldn't find one. Then, I do hope that Fujita pronounces his name as Fu jit a.

Since I have been writing limericks for OEDILF, I have found DDs harder to write. I keep wanting to use the limerick meter. I had a terrible time with this one.

In the following the name isn't perfect. Why, oh, why couldn't his name have been "Spockovitch?" On the other hand, I think the "that is" works because "Spock" could refer to Mr. Spock on Star Trek.

Higgledy Piggledy
Spock, that is, Benjamin,
Pediatrician, he
Wrote about kids.

Parents are told to be
Disciplinarians;
Keep them on schedule, and
Lock all your lids!

Lim'ricker, Lim'ricker
Islander Christopher
Making great plans for an
Excellent rest!

Really great writer, he's
Indefatigable.
Chris is a fav; he's a
Keeper...the best!

Chris Doyle has posted here every so often, especially in this thread. He is an exceptionally talented writer of limericks and double dactyls, and he posts frequently on OEDILF. He is taking an extended vacation, which will include New Zealand (thus, the "islander" reference; he's actually from Missouri!). The above is the send-off message I sent him. (Those acrostic DDs aren't easy!)

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

Inspired by Shu's reference to Peggy Parish's Amelia Bedelia, who has now been around to please children for forty plus years:

Higgledy Piggledy
Peggy's Amelia
Entertains kids with her
Twisting each word.

Literalistically,
Dusting the furniture
Means that she sprinkles with
Dust -- How absurd!

This is fabulous! Wonderful! Mind if I share with other Children's LIbrarians???

Oh, no...in fact, I'd be thrilled.

Amelia and I tend to have a lot in common!

Marrily, Merrily
Jennifer Aniston,
Beautiful actress is
Everyone's fav.

...Maybe not Brad's cuz she's
No longer Pitt-i-full;
Connubiality's
Gone to the grave!

Guys, that means that Jennifer is free for you!

Lexily Sexily
Jesse E. Sheidlower,
OED editor's,
Brilliant and young!

Authoritatively,
Searching for words and their
Meanings, he finds that the
"E-word" is dung!

Well, one has to pronounce his name with 3 syllables. However, I figure if "world" and "fire" and "hour" all have one syllable that "Sheidlower" can have 3!

Long-short-short, long-short-short
Dactyls in dimeter,
Verse form with choriambs
(Masculine rhyme):
One sentence (two stanzas)
Hexasyllabically
Challenges poets who
Don't have the time.

Shawn from OEDILF posted this, and he apparently found it on the Web. I love it!

Someone else also posted this link for more double dactyls, though, as I said there, I think they may need a little workshopping.

Higgeldy Piggeldy,
Sigmund Freud, Analyst
Layed on the couch with his
Hand on his head.

No more hysterics, I'm
Hypomaniacal.
I have no energy.
Put me to bed.

I love it, Jo!

Quote "...Layed on the couch with his
Hand on his head.."

I should think he would have been confused, having presumably "layed" an egg :-)

I know this is rather a lousy poem, but here goes:

Drivetty Wivetty
Shufitz and Kalleh are
coming to visit, I
hardly can wait!

Welcoming them as Co-
lumbus Ohians
is a great thrill, and to-
morrow's the date!

Well, CW, I think it's great.

We are going to be driving through the snow belt when in fact snow is expected...so we are quite committed to meeting CW and her family!

I guess this means I'll have to go out and shovel a spot for you in the street and guard it with lawn chairs???

Higgledy Piggledy
Michael and Caterwaul
Entertained Shu and me...
What a great time!

Visiting bookstores and
Libraries, surely 'twas
Paradisiacal,
Truly sublime.

That is so wonderful! Thank you! And you're welcome to come back whenever you like . . . there's ALWAYS another bookstore or library we could visit!

Now I'll work with Simon and Mike and we'll write a poem in reply.

Oh, heck...I didn't include Simon in that one. This is for him:

Snakily Wakily
Simon the snakelover
Taught us of snakes when we
Visited him.

Simon's a reader who,
Logomaniacally,
Reads about dragons and
Other such whim!

What a great guy that Simon is!

Wordy absurdity
Shufitz and Kalleh just
love to see bookstores
and libraries, too.

Proud to encourage this
bibliophilia
I took them 'round to both,
old and then new!

(Simon loves his poem, btw. Thanks!)

Oh that is great, CW! Thanks!

I have been working on this baby.

Lexily, Rexily
Bailey, Nathaniel E.
Lived long ago, and he
Wrote with a flair.

Lexicographically,
Word definitions he
Crafted and even the
E-word* is there!

*That is, "epicaricacy" of course. "Epicaricacy" was first cited in "Nathaniel Bailey's Universal Etymological English Dictionary."

The challenge was given . . . and here is a first attempt. Perhaps you more clever writers will be able to improve this, but I think it's a fun start:

Smoochety Poochety
Asa and Sunflower
Going t'be married mid-
summer this year

Though they won't need much that's
aphrodisiacal
Choc'late sauce might do the
trick, so I hear

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

Oh, I love it!!!!!!!! Did you see the double dactyl about us, Asa?

Oh, I am so jealous! What a fabulous DD, CW!

quote:

Originally posted by Sunflower:
Oh, I love it!!!!!!!! Did you see the double dactyl about us, Asa?

Caterwaul, Jammerkatz,
Screeching such din!
Hollering stuff about Asa's new kin!

Jammerkatz, Caterwaul,
Words she does toss,
'Bout Asa and Sunflower's
Chocolate sauce!

He's a poet and doesn't know it! Love it, and especially "jammerkatz!"

Oh thank you, Asa! I love your poem, too! I'm so happy for you both, sauce or no!

quote:

Originally posted by Caterwauller:
Oh thank you, Asa! I love your poem, too! I'm so happy for you both, sauce or no!

Uhhh, Sunflower, should we tell them about the whipped cream too?

Not to worry, Asa . . . I'm fairly sure I'm not the only one to assume . . .

Asa has been a good friend of mine for almost 3 years now. He was instrumental in helping Shu and me start this site.

Loverly Loverly
Asa, our Wordcrafter,
Found his true love and will
Marry his Sue.

"Connubiality,"
"Devotionality":
Words he'll be using when
Saying, "I do!"

Asa & Sue, I am so very, very happy for you!