Surrey, I meant Surrey.

Forget I even mentioned Minsk.

OK now that the voting is over it's official. I'm the winner! And in a trick even your new President couldn't manage I also came second. First AND Second!

So while the world as we know it still exists get your limericks about Surrey in and if we don't have an apocalypse before I get them all we can have another vote in this game in about a week.

Just in case anyone doesn't know ... it rhymes with "hurry", "curry" and even "worry".

(You never need to worry with a tin of Hurry Curry, poisoned especially for you. - King Crimson, Cat Food)

Good luck Americans with your newly elected President.

I have a part-time job where I teach Primary (I think you guys call it Elementary) School kids, lots of interesting stuff, varying from programming computers, to making flying and tweaking Paper Planes, to how to solve Sudoku and Rubik's Cube. I have never before in my life, heard kids of that tender an age talk politics, ever, and certainly not about Australian politics. But as my classes this evening began, the result of your election was becoming blatantly obvious over here, and all the kids wanted to talk about was the result.

The most common theme in their discussions, was that one way or another, Trump was going to start World War III. Obviously their view is coloured significantly by the views of their parents, but I just found it fascinating that such discussions were taking place amongst people so young. Maybe our World will be in good hands when their generation gets to be our political leaders.

I just told them to wait and see, saying that there was a lot of grandstanding rhetoric uttered during political campaigns, that often don't mean that much in the cold light of the next day. I also pointed out that in the 80s the USA made an Actor their president, and the rest of the world thought it was a bit of joke, but he turned out to be one of the better US Presidents, and maybe Donald Trump will be too. For all our sakes I hope so.

Just curious as to why this is in this thread?

Response to your facetious comments, Bob. As for the actor, yes, he was great IF you were a wealthy white male. History repeats, and they won't accept me as a political refugee in Surrey OR Minsk!

quote:

Just curious as to why this is in this thread?

Because there are quite a few US citizens participating in this game, and they are my only American friends, so I thought I'd share it, but mainly I was just totally taken aback to see such young kids talking politics ... it would never have happened in my days as a kid, or at least not until I was almost old enough to vote. Certainly didn't mean to offend anybody, and didn't personally have a solid view on it myself, and didn't even know the result until I heard the kids talking about it.

Hell, Greg, some of US are in shock! I guess it gives me an excuse to learn a bit more Russian

Черт!

quote:

Originally posted by Geoff:
Response to your facetious comments, Bob. As for the actor, yes, he was great IF you were a wealthy white male. History repeats, and they won't accept me as a political refugee in Surrey OR Minsk!

Er... What facetious comments? I usually know when I've made them. Don't think I did this time.

quote:

Originally posted by Greg S:
... in the 80s the USA made an Actor their president, and the rest of the world thought it was a bit of joke, but he turned out to be one of the better US President ...

I don't think so. His economic policies favored the rich and worsened the plight of the middle class and poor.

quote:

Originally posted by BobHale:


Er... What facetious comments? I usually know when I've made them. Don't think I did this time.

On second thought, you're right; the world as we know it HAS blown away.

When we first started on WC, Richard lived in Surrey.

People. Rise above all the gloom and despair. Send me limericks about Surrey. It's the easiest one we've had for months and so far I have just one single entry.

I'm trying, but it isn't easy when faced with the prospect of living under a US Taliban.

I have submitted one. I have also written a scathing letter to the Democratic National Committee for throwing the election.

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

I think in songs. So Stone Soul Picnic

Can you surry, can you picnic?
Can you surry, can you picnic?
Surry down to a stoned soul picnic
Surry down to a stoned soul picnic
There'll be lots of time and wine
Red yellow honey, sassafras and moonshine
Red yellow honey
Sassafras and moonshine (moonshine)
Stoned soul, stoned soul
Surry down to a stoned soul picnic
Surry down to a stoned soul picnic
Rain and sun come in akin
And from the sky come the Lord and the lightning
And from the sky come
The Lord and the lightning
Stoned soul, stoned soul
Surry on soul
Surry, Surry, Surry, Surry
There'll be trains of blossoms (there'll be trains of blossoms)
There'll be trains of music (there'll be music)
There'll be trains of trust, trains of golden dust
Come along and surry on sweet trains of thought
Surry on down
Can you surry, can you surry
Surry down to a stoned soul picnic
Surry down to a stoned soul picnic
There'll be lots of time and wine
Red yellow honey, sassafras and moonshine
Red yellow honey
Sassafras and moonshine (moonshine)
Stoned soul, stoned soul
Stoned soul yeah
Surry on soul
Surry

By the way, I haven't been here lately, so I am just now looking at the limerick.

So THAT's what the words are! I've never heard well, and most song's words are unintelligible to me.

Still just the two...

quote:

Originally posted by BobHale:
Still just the two...

Not anymore

You are right. Four now. But it's still a pretty poor turn out.

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

I'm trying to think of another one, but it's hurting my head!

My headache's gone, but so is any semblance of decency and decorum. I've sent a second, even more atrocious one.

I've been bad - but will send one tomorrow, I promise.

How about Shufitz?

six

Not calling it until I get AT LEAST two more. Most of the ones I have so far don't rhyme in British English and I am dubious about whether they rhyme in US English (though Rhymezone claims they do!)

I'll tell Shu to get to it, though that and $2.25 will get me on the CTA, as we say in Chicago. Mine is being written now, Bob.

Mine likely won't win, but I love it!

Bob, please explain what rhymes with "Surrey" in your dialect? Must they have "ey?" Is ending in "ay" or only "y" not likely to rhyme?

That's the problem... it doesn't relate to spelling

Surrey rhymes with curry, worry and hurry but not with blurry or furry .

YMMV

Sorry, Bob, but in my world blurry, flurry, hurry, curry, and furry ALL rhyme with Surrey. Brits must say those words differently than where I live, but I can't even begin to imagine how they could be pronounced, if they don't rhyme with Surrey.

Does it rhyme with Minsk? Or Gdansk?

http://www.oxfordlearnersdicti...ition/english/blurry
http://dictionary.cambridge.or...iation/english/hurry

But, of course, I accept that they might rhyme for you. Though I have no idea whether you pronounce them both as I pronounce "blurry" or both as I pronounce "hurry". (Or, indeed, both as I pronounce "Gdansk")

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

I pronounce Gdansk "Danzig." I suppose it does depend on who one's ancestors were.

quote:

Originally posted by BobHale:
http://www.oxfordlearnersdicti...ition/english/blurry
http://dictionary.cambridge.or...iation/english/hurry

But, of course, I accept that they might rhyme for you. Though I have no idea whether you pronounce them both as I pronounce "blurry" or both as I pronounce "hurry". (Or, indeed, both as I pronounce "Gdansk")

With the word "blurry", I pronounce it (at least, I think I do lol) as the North American version does in the example. That is also how I pronounce all the other words listed, including Surrey. The only difference is the beginning of each word. The rest of the pronunciation is the same.

I talked to two other online friends. One lives in Cleveland and the other lives in Denver. Both have lived in different areas of the country, but have lived quite a few years in the cities they reside at now. Both agreed that they pronounce all the words the same and think that they all rhyme. They were surprised to learn that they could be pronounced differently.

Tricky little buggers, vowels. They are often seriously different in the US and UK.

It's why rhymezone doesn't really work for non US poets. The most common one is the cot-caught merger which is similar to this issue of hurry/blurry.

I may record myself reciting a couple of limericks to really demonstrate the problem.

I have re-raised this a couple of times in the past when we have talked about pronunciation.
One of the very first things I ever posted here, all those years ago was this limerick about a colleague

John Rawlinson treated with scorn
Any food that had ever been born
He would simply not eat
Any dish made with meat
(But he might stretch a point for a prawn.)

I was told right away that "prawn" doesn't rhyme but it absolutely does in British English, not even the faintest shadow of a doubt. Anyway, that's not the same as the current question but it is smilar.

This is interesting, Bob. I wonder how, why, and when the pronunciation of these words changed. Does Australia and New Zealand say the words like Brits or are they different, too? Sounds like there needs to be a RhymeZone, British version. I nominate you for undertaking the task! lol

And here is a link... should make it clearer

https://youtu.be/W1l-IDVlG_s

Certainly "blurry" rhymes with Surrey for me too, and Shu says it works for him. As I have said to Greg here, this is not OEDILF. We have some poetic license, whereas they do not. You, Bob, who likes poems with no rhymes at all (unlike Richard), should be able to see that. Plus, accents are very different. Sometimes your and Greg's rhymes don't work for me too (in the Midwest words ending in er and a don't rhyme, for example), but I might choose it anyway because I like parts of it. Clearly the rhyme is not the only consideration.

Could I please ask that we not criticize pronunciations of words here? Let's leave that to OEDILF. I know there have been hurt feelings about it because I have received PMs from more than one poster. Just don't vote for it.

Personally, I have adopted a "have fun" attitude. I am doing it for the fun, the mental process, and just because I want to (I will end the sentence with a preposition to drive all of the perfectionists crazy ) . Like you, Kalleh, I don't find the limericks have to rhyme exactly to be enjoyable. So, good or bad limericks, I will still write them when I can, and continue to enjoy reading what everyone submits, including those who have great skill in writing them, and those who don't have as much skill. These are still enjoyable. Don't you just love how we start with the same subject and then take it in different directions, even when using some of the same rhyming words?

By the way, Bob, I enjoyed hearing the differences in how the British say certain words compared to Americans. I have to say though, for me, even the ones that were different could be considered a close enough, if not perfect, rhyme. But, I must admit to not having that good of an ear and not caring enough to haggle over it. I am nearing the end of my life. To keep living, I have to be hooked up to a machine three days of the week and it kind of puts things in perspective for the most part.

Even if your limericks are not everyone's favorite, you can do your best, still have fun, and be glad to just be able to be in the game
Love and peace,
Louise

I did say

quote:

So for the purposes of voting, keep in mind that what you may think isn’t rhyme might be a rhyme for the US.

Everything else has been a)because I think it's interesting and b) for information.

The simple truth is that just as in my "prawn" limerick NO American will ever consider it a rhyme for scorn/born, in all the ones that use "blurry" or "furry" no Brit will ever consider it a rhyme for Surrey/hurry/curry. I made and posted that little video so that Americans could just hear why that is.

quote:

You, Bob, who likes poems with no rhymes at all (unlike Richard), should be able to see that.

I don't think you would suggest that I should write limericks with no rhymes though.

Here's one of the two that I submitted but withdrew once I learned that they didn't rhyme:

Regarding that evening in Surrey
Events even now are quite blurry
Met a woman named Glynnis
We had way too much Guinness
How'd her knickers end up in my curry?

quote:

I don't think you would suggest that I should write limericks with no rhymes though.

And why not, prithee?

Do you recall
There was a young man from St. Bees
Who was stung on the nose by a wasp.
When asked, Does it hurt?
He replied, Yes it does,
But I'm so glad it wasn't a hornet!
posed by no less an author than W.S.Gilbert...

But if you're going to do that it has to be done poetically. Whatever that means.

(Just a digression...)

Shu and I love it, Hab. And I would vote for that one.

quote:

he simple truth is that just as in my "prawn" limerick NO American will ever consider it a rhyme for scorn/born, in all the ones that use "blurry" or "furry" no Brit will ever consider it a rhyme for Surrey/hurry/curry.

You are correct; I do remember and they would not work for me. I think it's much like the a and er endings.

I'll ask Richard about the "Surrey" "hurry" and "curry," though I am sure he'll agree with you. Those rhymes are all perfect to both me and Shu, as I said. Like Sattva, I have wondered if my ear is good in hearing subtle differences. However, Shu's is, I know, and he says they are perfect rhymes to him. We had a good conversation about "Mary," merry" and "marry." He sees the differences in those pronunciations, while I do not.

surrey hurry and curry are rhymes - it's blurry and furry that are rhymes for you but not us

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

Gottcha. On to Richard English, though I expect he'll say Surrey doesn't rhyme with anything.