I tried to find something that was rhymable, and yet had some meaning. I didn't want a U.S. city because so often Americans are seen as insular. So...I first tried cities in Panama, since my oldest daughter just came back from there. I could find nothing, and Panama itself isn't easy. My youngest daughter is in Vietnam right now, and I thought about Hanoi or Pho, but couldn't think of much.

Sooooo....I got more desperate and just thought of places that came into my mind and then tried to rhyme them. For example, Cuba and Amsterdam came to mind. No dice.

Finally...Jamaica! It's perfect. Sunny, beachy, and excellent to rhyme. Go to it with the kind of zest I used when coming up with the destination!

It is also perfect for your "insular" Americans because do they not have their own little town called Jamaica?

I suppose there are some cities named Jamaica, but of course I meant the island.

Now, how about a few? Just PM them to me, folks.

Edward Lear wrote a limerick that would almost certainly fail to get any votes here, both because of the weak ending and the racist sentiments:

There was an Old Man of Jamaica,
Who suddenly married a Quaker;
But she cried out - "O lack!
I have married a black!"
Which distressed that Old Man of Jamaica.

quote:

Originally posted by arnie:
Edward Lear wrote a limerick that would almost certainly fail to get any votes here, both because of the weak ending and the racist sentiments:

There was an Old Man of Jamaica,
Who suddenly married a Quaker;
But she cried out - "O lack!
I have married a black!"
Which distressed that Old Man of Jamaica.

And the self-rhyme

quote:

And the self-rhyme

Yes, that's what I meant really by the weak ending.

For absolutely no reason< I offer

The pilot, once landed, then sighed.
“This runway’s too short,” he then cried.
“It’s six hundred feet long
And that really seems wrong
Since I notice it’s two miles wide.”

I'm confused (What's new?) about Jamaica. You're using the name of a country? I thought these limericks were based on towns, not countires. Kalleh, Jamaica mistake?

Could be Jamaica Plain, MA
Jamaica Queens, NY
or the Jamaicas in Illinois, Vermont and Iowa

Well, Geoff, it was never my understanding that these limericks were just about towns. Heck, I did France another time. It was always my impression that these limericks were about places (or I've called them "venues" before), but not necessarily towns, villages, or cities.

If I am wrong, I apologize.

I made the game up. Countries, Cities, Towns, Villages, Hamlets, Streets whatever. All fine with me.

Since you're "The Man," Bob, I stand corrected. Sorry to have doubted you, Kalleh.

No problem, Geoff. Perhaps others think that, too. I know most of the places we've limericked have been cities.

How's about a Jamaica limerick from you?

I have a couple enroute

When Jeb Raltar in Kingston arrived,
They condemned him for women he swived..
“I their love never sought
And for my love they fought.”
Seems that answer is plainly contrived.

I have yours and Richard's. How about the rest of you? Bob?

I see what my problem will be with these. The "a" ending is "er" to most of you here (not sure about Canada). For those in the east, England, Australia and NZ, it will rhyme with "er" words, right? For those of us in the rest of the U.S., that's not the case. It'll be hard for me to pick one.

Unless of course I pick my own, but I don't want to get into that debate again!

It's perfect for my New England accent, since all "er" words sound like "ah".

But don't "ah"s sound like "er?" I mean, you're all crazy!
I'm thinking of how my RI friend (not you because I've never heard you speak) says "idear."

I suppose someone has to include this:

"My wife's gone to the West Indies."
"Jamaica?"
"No, she went of her own accord."

BOOM BOOM

The last syllable of Jamaica is a schwa in UK English and thus very easy to rhyme.

Mark Patinkin (brother of actor Mandy) is a columnist for the Providence Journal. He was new to the state and began cmmenting on the Rho Dylan accent in the paper, eventually incorporating his thoughts into the "Rhode Island Dictionary," in which he chronicles the vvagaries of our local language. (link)

According to Wikipedia

quote:

Areas with non-rhotic accents include ... most of the Caribbean, most of England (including Received Pronunciation speakers) ...

quote:

panda-pander. In the terminology of Wells (1982), this consists of the merger of the lexical sets commA and lettER. It is found in all or nearly all non-rhotic accents, ... and is even present in some accents that are in other respects rhotic, such as those of some speakers in Jamaica ...

(My emhasis and elisions).

That would seem to indicate that the Jamicans themselves pronounce the name of their country so that the final a rhymes with -er.

Okay...I only have limericks from Richard and Proof. Come on, guys! Bob? You must be able to come up with one!

You've got one from me now too.

And now two!

I'll get one to you today.

A limerick from Bob would be great. Then I'll be able to post some.