Kinshasa is the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (isn't it interesting how the world's least democratic nations so often have "Democratic" as part of the name?)

If you are wondering how and why I chose it...

I chose it using this.

Rules for this game...

No more than two submissions per player, pronounce it any way you like, we'll figure it out somehow.

The deadline will be entirely arbitrary and chosen by me later.

Been busy and haven't been around - I don't think I even voted in the Leeds contest. But I'll get you one.

Mine is in - hadn't heard of the city.

Kinshasa figures prominently in Richard Preston's 1995 book, The Hot Zone. Many tropical viruses, such as Ebola, Marburg, and HIV came from the rain forests of central Africa. Some claim to trace the origin of HIV/AIDS to 1920's Kinshasa. Of course, one of the conspiracy theories claim the CIA created the virus as a biological weapon.

I can think of nothing to rhyme with Kenshasa. I may have to sit this one out.

Hi Geoff,

I am having trouble too, although I can find few rhymes, just having trouble getting 2 I can work into a good story.

But just to get you thinking here's a few ideas, Bob said we could pronounce it however we like, so we could rhyme it with "plaza". I tend to think it should rhyme with "Mombasa", but remember you can add the word "a" after a word like pass, glass, ass (or arse for me), as in:

There once was a girl from Kinshasa
Who hated her really big ass, a
...

Obviously you can't finish the limerick with a rhyme like "big ass, a" but you could use that trick twice in lines 1 and 2, and finish with Kinshasa in Line 5.

And having pencilled those thoughts, I think I may nearly have one.

And its in. No doubt everyone will know which one is mine, but I haven't been getting any votes when people don't know which ones are mine, so I won't be any worse off from that perspective.

Greg, we can start the no vote club Seriously, I am trying not to care anymore and do ones for myself, authentic, if not popular.

Geoff, I haven't even tried to work on it, yet. I have been busy and struggling with other things. It does seem like a difficult rhyme. I will try to create one this weekend, but there are no promises!

Some say that they can't rhyme Kinshasa
And feel that they will have to pass a
Game that's so tough
But it's easy enough
to non-rhotically rhyme words like "gasser".

Kinshasa

Kinshasa #2


Kinshasa pronunciation

quote:

I can think of nothing to rhyme with Kenshasa. I may have to sit this one out.

Ah well, all rhymes don't have to be perfect. That's the wonderful thing about WC, versus OEDILF. For example, Bob's "gasser" wouldn't even be close for me, but I know how he pronounces it. So I'd consider it.

As my limerick above tries to point out in non-rhotic accents virtually any word ending -asser will rhyme because they are pronounced "asə" not "asər".

I've managed a realy silly one. Ugh...

Silly sounds good. Alas,I managed a not really silly one that has no twist or is amusing in the least.

Not for consideration, as I’m running this round, but these took me all of ten minutes…

They are rhymes to any non-rhotic speakers. They are just to (hopefully) provide some inspiration.

A young man who came from Kinshasa
Decided that he would amass a
A great deal of wealth
That he’d leave to himself
And come back (like that fellow in Lhasa)

A footballing star from Kinshasa
Though renowned as a dribbler and passer
Dribbled most during drinking
Passed wind during thinking
And was more of a drooler and gasser.

A man on his way to Kinshasa
On a donkey – or should we say an ass, a
Quite slow, plodding beast
Found her speed was increased
If he used a sharp stick to harass ‘er.

Come on people. I am not going to post a poll with just five entries.
I've shown you how it's done... now let's get on with it.

Okay, I sent you a second one.

I actually edited the limerick several times after initially sending it to you, Bob. I promise to let it be, this time!

They aren't fixed until I post them. If you have a version you like better send it and I'll substitute it.

quote:

I've managed a realy silly one. Ugh...

I am often not happy with mine. Sometimes I'm surprised when others like it. Yet, I am surprised the other way, too.

It works the same for me in reverse. Others will love a limerick, and it will get 5 votes. Yet, it won't be my favorite at all. Strange how that goes.

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

I'll be wrapping this up on Sunday.