1. On my tour of the Island Sardinia
I don't know where to begin here.
I’m of two minds, I find
That just can’t be aligned
I’m a tourist who has schizophrenia

2. A Rubensesque lass from Sardinia
Grew potatoes and corn in Virginia
And she got quite dismayed
About how much she weighed -
"If I'd only eat less, I'd be skinnia!"

3. I went on vacay to Sardinia
With luscious g.f. named Lavinia
I almost proposed
Until she disclosed
Who’s her daddy: No! We’re kissing kinnia!

4. An Irish Knight in Sardinia
Sir Aloysius O'Malley - a
Quite peevish auld bloke
Whom you'd best not provoke
Or sure an' he'd poke 'is sword inna ya

5. Said a dirty old man in Sardinia
I have something I’d like to put innia
And wiggle about
Before I take it out
Whadya mean, it looks rather too thinia?

6. I once dated a man in Sardinia
And was sure I was yang to his yinnia
When I caught him in bed
With another— niente said!
He just gave me a Cheshire Cat grinnia…

7. I once met a man in Sardinia
With an illness we call schizophrenia.
Seeing bugs on the wall,
He started a brawl,
Decrying his hate for gloxinia.

8. A seafood cafe in Sardinia
Has fish both much fattia and thinnia
But I said for my meal
That I’d prefer eel
As I like my food much less finnia.

9. On a cruise to the isle of Sardinia
I’d been told the girls all live in sinnia
My attempts with ragazza
Fell as flat as a matzoh
I was offered more tonic and ginnia.

10. A florist's quaint shop in Sardinia
Sold flowers from Asters to Zinnia
And then one day fine
On the door was a sign
Saying "Closed for Vacay - I'll be sinnia!"

11. I sang for a cruise to Sardinia
The guide said my ear couldn’t be tinnia
Then said “but you’re hot!--
Want sex?” I yelled “Not
by the hair of my chinny-chin-chinnia!”

This was a tough one! I can't get any of them to scan right. I'll go with #7 even though gloxinia aren't bugs - but then he was hllucinating, as I often do when trying to write a limerick.

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

quote:

Originally posted by Geoff:
This was a tough one! I can't get any of them to scan right. I'll go with #7 even though gloxinia aren't bugs - but then he way hllucinating, as I often do when trying to write a limerick.

Hmm. At least two of my three scan and rhyme perfectly (the third one is a bit less precise) to an Englishman. When the results are announced you must tell me where you think there is a problem.

You must remember, Bob, I am illiterate.

...I think at issue is whether "Sardinia" has three syllables (sar-DEEN-ya) or four (sar-DIN-ee-ya). Thus it is with diphthongs. As I recall the pronunciation example to which you linked had four.

Did we ever settle the analogous question about "fire" to anyone's satisfaction? I thought not.

quote:

Originally posted by haberdasher:
...I think at issue is whether "Sardinia" has three syllables (sar-DEEN-ya) or four (sar-DIN-ee-ya). Thus it is with diphthongs. As I recall the pronunciation example to which you linked had four.

And this matters because...?

Just pronounce all three rhymes the same way... with three or four doesn't matter as long as you pronounce the others the same way and as Sardinia is in the first line it all works out fine.

I'm not crazy about any of them, but I would have to pick 2 as the best of the lot. Despite that it requires a contrived pronunciation of Virginia.

quote:

Originally posted by tinman:
I'm not crazy about any of them, but I would have to pick 2 as the best of the lot. Despite that it requires a contrived pronunciation of Virginia.

Not mine so I feel happy about saying that I am becoming increasingly puzzled by suggestions that these limericks either don't rhyme or don't scan. In what way is Virginia NOT a rhyme for Sardinia? To my ear whether pronounced with three syllables or four they are perfect rhymes. Of the ones that are mine I have admitted already that one doesn't rhyme and scan properly but the other two (to be revealed later) rhyme and scan perfectly to my ear. Of the others that I didn't write three rhyme and scan well, one is just very slightly out on the syllables and rhythm, one has a weak rhyme and one has a line that doesn't rhyme at all. This all seems about average for the game to me. I confess that I am baffled by the objections. Feels like I've wandered into a certain dictionary project by mistake.

And I've just noticed that I haven't actually voted so I'll go for two too though with no reservations at all about the rhyme.

quote:

Originally posted by tinman:
I'm not crazy about any of them, but I would have to pick 2 as the best of the lot. Despite that it requires a contrived pronunciation of Virginia.

As a person whose first name is Virginia. I can testify that there are a surprising number of people who pronounce it that way!

My goodness, I thought we all rose rather well to the occasion! Agree with Bob! A few little details here & there could be easily workshopped to perfection

Now how about some more votes?
I have a fave (which is not mine), but if I recall host doesn't vote except for tie [or am I remembering that wrong?]

That's how I remember the rules.

quote:

Originally posted by bethree5:
As a person whose first name is Virginia. I can testify that there are a surprising number of people who pronounce it that way!

My apologies. I have never heard it pronounced that way. Out of curiosity, which way do you pronounce it? I try to pronounce a person's name the way they pronounce it.

quote:

Originally posted by bethree5:

I have a fave (which is not mine), but if I recall host doesn't vote except for tie [or am I remembering that wrong?]

I don't see anything in the rules that says the host ("originator" in the rules) can't vote. The host votes in case of a tie to determine the winner, but I can see nothing that says the host can't vote even if there is no tie. The host would have to vote last, of course, and not create a tie. I voted in the last game I hosted, but I voted last and my vote didn't influence the outcome. Here's where I found the rules. Please read the entire thread. If I missed something, please point it out to me.

And I am still trying to work out how there are two ways to pronounce it. There's hardly any difference between pronouncing "ia" as ee-a and ya, so that can't be the problem, can it?

It’s a counting issue - is a diphthong one syllable or two? I agree it doesn’t matter if there is consistency across the limerick.

It’s hard to choose among these. I’m torn between 8 and 9. I think I’ll give 9 a slight edge…

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

quote:

Originally posted by tinman:
Out of curiosity, which way do you pronounce it? I try to pronounce a person's name the way they pronounce it.

Thanks for asking, tinman! In my family we've always said it the usual way, Vir-GIN-ya. (Mom had same name.) Often pronounced vir-GIH-nee-ah by others-- do they pronounce the state the same way? Maybe not. Or hab may be right & that's just how they pronounce "ia."

But to those here who "know" me, think of me as Ginny

I'm taking your reading on faith, tinman-- I'll vote last unless it would create a tie.

quote:

Originally posted by BobHale:
And I am still trying to work out how there are two ways to pronounce it. There's hardly any difference between pronouncing "ia" as ee-a and ya, so that can't be the problem, can it?

Well, maybe. How many ways can you pronounce "Abyssinia" or "Syria"?

quote:

Originally posted by haberdasher:

Well, maybe. How many ways can you pronounce "Abyssinia" or "Syria"?

Abyssinia is the same as Sardinia - it can be ee-a or ya with very little difference between the two. Syria is an entirely different case because the position of the tongue in the mouth for the "r" sound is very different to the position for the "n" sound and pronouncing the "ia" as "ya" involves repositioning it and it feels and sounds awkward so the natural way to pronounce Syria is with the "ia" as ee-a.

There are some real clever ones here. Good going Wordcrafters! As a meter freak, some of the more clever ones I just couldn't pick.

I pick #2

#5 was great (Geoff?). But I couldn't get past L4.

PS I just hate not having the polls these days. I never know which limerick is winning. I think it's 2, but I am not sure.

One of these days I'll win ( ) and then I'll go back to our old-fashioned polls! Heck, we can still comment in those threads, too. I am not sure why people don't like those polls.

Just look through the thread and count. So far 2 has received 3 votes and 7 and 9 each received 2. If we create a thread for just the votes without any comments it would be easier to keep track of them. The polls were confusing to some, maybe not you, but to others.

I'm with Kalleh. I have never understood how those polls could be confusing to anyone. This way is much more effort, much more confusing and much more prone to error. Still, I'll take your word for it even if it baffles me.

I'm the only one who can't comprehend the polls, so go ahead and use them. My limericks suuuuuck anyway, so it won't matter.

Visual cortex-compromised Geoff

If I recall (it has been awhile), the bar graph was on top of the selection, which is not intuitive. I get that. But - all you have to do is count down.

Anyway, I find this way completely confusing. However, I think we had decided that whoever is posting the results can do it their way. That's fair. One of these days I'll win and we'll have a poll!

quote:

Originally posted by Geoff:
I'm the only one who can't comprehend the polls, so go ahead and use them.

No, Geoff, you are not the only one who has troubles with the polls. Why do you (and others) think you can tell what everybody else is thinking?

In my case it's precisely because I CAN'T tell what you are thinking that I find it so baffling.

quote:

Originally posted by tinman:
Why do you (and others) think you can tell what everybody else is thinking?

In my case it's because I'm a presumptuous idiot.

Eh, I shouldn't have brought it up in the first place, I guess.

We all are individualistic in how we like these displayed. I was simply providing my opinion that I prefer the polls over these long, winding threads.

So, who is the winner and can we please start another game?

The long and winding thread that leads to your poll
Will never disappear, I've seen that thread before
It always leads me here

Kalleh you are more assertive than I. I prefer the poll, too, & should have just used it. Too deferential by far-- I remembered only 'controversy', so I avoided it.

Thanks for the count, tinman! Except… there was only ONE vote for #9! I will add my vote, & it doesn’t create a tie: #8.

I think 6 votes is all we’re gonna get. (who else is there? Shu, z, Richard not likely to chime in…)

Here’s the lineup:
#1 by Bob Hale, no votes
#2 by haberdasher, 3 votes [tinman, Bob, Kalleh] – the winnah & champeen!
#3 by yours truly, no votes
#4 by Geoff, no votes
#5 by Bob, no votes- tho Kalleh liked it & guessed it was by Geoff…
#6 by me, no votes
#7 by Kalleh, 1 vote [Geoff]
#8 by Bob, 1 vote [me] (& hab’s 2nd fave)
#9 by me- bethree- 1 vote, thanks hab!
#10 by hab, no votes
#11 by me, no votes

Take us on a trip to a new location, hab!

Thanks, Bethree! I could have sworn #5 was written by Geoff. I think it was the Whadya as he has used it before.