H.e.u.'s limerick eleswhere brings up a question regarding the format of that beloved art form. Lines 1, 2, and 5 have to rhyme as do, of course, lines 3 and 4, but there's nothing saying they all can't rhyme, is there. I don't think so.

It brings to mind the world's most easily memorized poem, a little ditty perfect for people who find it impossible to commit anything to memory. In it, for poetic purposes, "again" has to rhyme with "Spain," a flaw maybe but a minor one.

There once was a lady from Spain,
Who did it again and again.
And again and again,
And again and again,
And again and again and again!!

If, after hours of memorization, you start this one out with "There once was a lady from Barcelona," give up, you're hopeless.

Favorite limericks, anyone?

I like all limericks, as I have mentioned elsewhere and especially in the other limerick thread. However I enjoy especially those which rely on clever wordplay to add piquancy to their constructions. For example:

"The was a young curate from Salisbury
whose manners were quite halisbusy scalisbury.
He'd rush about Hampshire
without any pantshire -
'till the vicar compelled him to walisbury"

Like my previous posting about the "deadly cuco." this limerick will be understandable only to those who know the key and I'll be happy to supply it after a respectable interval - unless someone else does so.

Richard English

CJ's reminds me of the world's dirtiest limerick, which is truly filthy. In deference to the sensitivities of our readers, I'll replace each improper word with a "duh", trusting to your mature interperative talents.

quote:

---

A duh-duh duh duh-duh-duh duh,
Duh-duh-duh duh-duh in duh duh!
Duh-duh duh-duh-duh,
Duh-duh-duh duh-duh-duh,
Duh duh-duh duh duh-duh duh shit.

---

That was a great lymeric, Hic!
Thank you so very much for sharing it with us.

I wish I could claim to have created this one.

While strolling along by the Thames,
I delight in the height of girls' hhames;
If they were much higher,
I'm sure I'd catch figher ---
I do like a shapely fhame's sthames!
---Norman Storer

[I presume it's general knowledge that "Thames" is pronounced with a silent "h" and with the "a" as a short "e".]

I like this limerick but I'm not convinced that the word "fhame's" is correctly spelt. As written it would be pronounced "flemm's" whereas I suspect it chould be pronounced "flame's"

(Unless I misunderstand its meaning, of course).

Richard English

H.e.u.'s contribution brought to mind a limerick even easier to memorize than the one I started this thread with.

"New York" magazine is famous for its innovative and thought-provoking contests. In one, readers were challenged to write limericks based on a well-known book, play, or movie. Around that time a popular play and movie was titled "Da" after the main character, a somewhat backward father of humble means in Ireland. One of the winning entries was the following:

Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da,
Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da.
Da Da Da Da Da,
Da Da Da Da Da.
Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da!

If you can't memorize that one, there's no hope for you.

(I also strongly recommend the movie, too!)

Quote: I'm not convinced that the word "fhame's" is correctly spelt. As written it would be pronounced "flemm's" whereas I suspect it chould be pronounced "flame's".
************
I read "fhame's" as femme's (silent "h", no "l" and the vowel sound as in Thames) -- and I do like the fhaminine gender.

Ah, that explains it. I hadn't thought of the abbreviation "fems". It's not normally used here, of course.

Richard English

CJ's remarkable ""Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da!" limerick was clearly written by a man.

By Edward Lear, perhaps?

On woman man once begat
Bouncing triplets named Nat, Tat and Pat
'Twas fun in the breeding
But rough in the feeding --
She hadn't a spare tit for Tat

That mother of triplets, they say,
Solved Tat's missed-tit problem that day:
She mixed up some Klim
And fed it to him.
Where there's a will there's a way

quote:

---

Originally posted by Asa Lovejoy:

On woman man once begat
Bouncing triplets named Nat, Tat and Pat
'Twas fun in the breeding
But rough in the feeding --
She hadn't a spare tit for Tat

---

This is the unhappy result of a very early event, recently discovered.

quote:

---

Last week, at a dig in the escarpments along the western shore of the Dead Sea, archeologists have uncovered ancient, original texts that pre-date Moses' writings by 1,300 years. Translated, their account of life's beginnings on earth are much more scientifically plausible ...

"... and God created Eve, giving her three breasts to succor her young. And God spoke, saying to her, "I have created thee as I see fit, but mine is no longer the only opinion in the universe (sigh). Is there anything about thee that thou would prefer differently?"

And Eve spoke, saying, "Lord, I am not made to birth whole litters; I do not need but two breasts."

And God said, "Thou speaketh wisely, as I have created thee with wisdom. But what am I going do with the useless boob?"

And so it was, God created Man."

---

The father-expectant was proud,
And when his mate made him endowed
With a fine set of triplets,
He whipped out this snippet:
"Two's company; three is a crowd!"

But when a fourth came, he was cowed,
Went out to the bar, and got plowed.
At the thought of quadruplets,
He forewent his couplets
And muttered, "Four crying out loud!"

A reminder: There are several limerick threads for anyone who would like to post their work but who does not, for whatever reason, care to be part of my Project.

We most certainly do not have a monopoly on five-line aabba poetry!

Wordcrafter edit: The word "my" inserted to replace other name. For copyright reasons, please forebear use of the acronymic name othat has been used the Project. That's the same careful concern CJ had previously expressed. Thank you.

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

That father of four had his fits
Naming babies; out of his wits;
When the fourth came along
He sang a new song
and said, "Baby let's call it Quits!"