In the late 1950s from the ages of 2-6 I lived in the Snowy Mountains where my dad worked building roads for the Hydro-Electric scheme. I don't remember too much about that time, but I was looking at a map of the area the other day and all the fantastically named towns in the area started ringing bells like: Adaminaby, Yarrangobilly, Tidbinbilla, Brindabella, Tom Groggin, Suggan Buggan, Crackenback, Tumbarumba, Khancoban, Geehi and Jyndabyne where I went to my first school and was confronted with my first Tiger Snake and Locust Plague. There's even a place called Greg Greg. Anyway I figured one of these place names would make a great limerick game. Some of them might be a bit limited for rhymes, and so although my favourite amongst those names is Tumbarumba, I decided that Crackenback would provide more rhyming options and it is still a pretty cool place name. Of course if there's a concensus among you that you'd prefer one of the other names I am open to switching. What do you think?

Well, I'll give it a go but that looks like a Dactyl rather than an Anapest (TUM-ti-ti not ti-ti-TUM) so to rhyme it properly may be harder than you think. As for the oths - maybe if you can give us an indication of which is the stressed syllable. (And for some an actual pronunciation note?)

Okay I would have thought it was TUM-ti-TUM, as in the 2 ack syllables have the same emphasis, just like the word crackerjack. Of the others:

Adaminaby - AD-uh-MIN-uh-BEE
Yarrangobilly - Yar-RANG-uh-BILL-ee
Tidbinbilla - TID-bin-BILL-uh or maybe Tid-bin-BILL-uh
Brindabella - BRIN-duh-BELL-uh or maybe Brin-duh-BELL-uh
Tom Groggin - Tom-GROG-in
Suggan Buggan - SUGG-an-BUGG-an
Tumbarumba - TUM-buh-RUM-buh
Khancoban - Can-COBE-in
Geehi - JEE-hi
Jyndabyne - JYN-duh-BYNE or maybe Jyn-da-BYNE

But it's not my area of expertise maybe if I give a rhyme for each it will be clearer:

Adaminaby - had 'em in the sea
Yarrangobilly - ya sang a silly (... song)
Tidbinbilla - hidden killer
Brindabella - Cinderella
Tom Groggin - from sproggin'
Suggan Buggan - pluggin' huggin'
Tumbarumba - hum ta number
Khancoban - (Can't think of one)
Geehi - knee high (but maybe you could also do "See why")
Jyndabyne - pinned a line

Any of those work for you? Maybe they are all too damned hard? If so maybe we could try something much closer to home for me, like a nice place in the nearby Dandenong Ranges called Kallista?

That would make it an amphimacer Tum-ti-Tum which would be even harder.

Basically anywhere where there are two stressed syllables separated by one unstressed can't be rhymed properly in a limerick.

Tidbinbilla, Brindabella, Tom Groggin, Khancoban, Geehi are the ones that can be made to work without mangling the stresses. The others can't.

Still, nothing like a challenge, is there?

Hi Bob et al,

The reminiscing was fun, but I do think they are all too hard. I like to write my own limerick when I set the location, before anybody sends me there's, that way I am not getting ideas from anyone else. And the only place amongst all of those that I have actually been able to come up with a full limerick I would be happy to put my name to, is Kallista (kuh-LIST-uh), so I am thinking I should switch it to that!

Hackensack (New Jersey) is the only rhyme I can think of for Crackenback. And I can think of only 4 for Kallista.

Well since you only have to rhyme the last emphasised syllable, any word ending in -ack, rhymes with Crackenback in my book. But even if you wanted to rhyme the last 2 emphasised syllables, the following work: snack attack, backin' track, Zac 'n' Jack, back in black (AC/DC Album), knacker crack, hacker snack, crackerjack, tracker shack.

As for Kallista you can gets lots of good enough rhymes especially in Ocker and Cockney English by forming the past tense of a verb ending in -iss and adding 'er.

My girlfriend's not fond of Kallista,
Cause that's where in public I dissed 'er,
...

By the same arguement sister, Mister, resistor & blister all work.

Maybe I should run a poll on which town to play next?

So - is it Crackenback? We could, as Bob says, give it a go. I agree with Bob that it would be perfect as a double dactyl, though not sure what we'd pair it with. I do love writing double dactyls, but they are harder than limericks, to be sure.

I don't know, I am looking for guidance from you guys ... as in whichever one you prefer, but I am leaning towards Kallista, but still happy to go with Crackenback, if people want to have a Crack at it?

Completely unrelated (yeah, right) have you seen The Good Place, particularly the character of Chidi?

In one way he reminds me of my Dad. We always used to say that if you wanted kill my Dad you would offer him a cheese sandwich and a ham sandwich and he would starve to death trying to decide which to eat first.

quote:

Originally posted by Greg S:
I don't know, I am looking for guidance from you guys ... as in whichever one you prefer, but I am leaning towards Kallista...

Let's not forget what Tom Lehrer did with this rhyme in his parody of Clementine-in-various-styles:

...One can always count on Gilbert and Sullivan for a rousing finale, full of words and music and signifying - nothing.

"...That I missed her depressed her
Young sister named Esther,
This mister to pester she tried.
Now her pestering sister's
A festering blister,
You're best to resist her, say I..."

Greg, this thread provides a wonderful list for the future. I'll try my hand at whichever you choose.

So, an executive decision is needed. What's the good word?

Let's go with Crackenback?

To answer your question, Bob, Shu loves "The Good Place." I don't watch it so can't comment.

Okay let's have a crack at Crackenback then! But I may as well finish that Kallista limerick I started, first:

My girlfriend's not fond of Kallista,
Cause that's where in public I dissed 'er.
She took that bitter pill,
And forgave me until -
I got pissed 'n' made out with 'er sister!

quote:

Originally posted by Kalleh:


To answer your question, Bob, Shu loves "The Good Place." I don't watch it so can't comment.

he should try to find the British radio serial Old Harry's Game which has a professor who has led a completely blameless life finding himself in hell because he was an atheist. It's hilarious. Especially the first season.

Hi Kalleh,

Are you sure you want us to go with Crackenback? I have received exactly zero entries so far. Haven't even come up with one myself yet.

Kallista would be much easier?

You have one now. Do I declare myself the winner?

I am working on one.

I'll come up w/1 in a day or 2

I can't come up with a last line.

Too damned busy and frustrated with our move to write one. Sorry.

Oops it's been 3 days
This is hard! But I haven't given up yet.

Sent two in, though lousy.

I'll work on one, but it isn't easy. Will try to get it to you tomorrow. You are right, though - Kallista would have been easier.

At least Bob has some competition.

quote:

Originally posted by Kalleh:


At least Bob has some competition.

Good. Not much glory in winning a one-horse race.

If you are up against just me, it is a one man race, and not just because I am a woman!

Sent mine, but oh boy - so awful. I worked on it so long too, even looking up the city to see what might jiggle my imagination. Nothing!

quote:

Originally posted by Kalleh:
Sent mine, but oh boy - so awful. I worked on it so long too, even looking up the city to see what might jiggle my imagination. Nothing!

I agree, Kalleh. I found nothing when I looked it up to spark my imagination. Mine have nothing really to do with the city, and they are awful, as well.

I warned you, Kallista would have been easier. I now have one from Bob, Kalleh & myself along with a couple from Sattva, so Bob won't necessarily win, although it was looking that way for a while.

quote:

Originally posted by Greg S:
so Bob won't necessarily win, although it was looking that way for a while.

You send back that bribe immediately... do you hear me? IMMEDIATELY

OK finally got one in. Mediocre. Maybe we should vote for worst instead of best

quote:

Originally posted by bethree5:
OK finally got one in. Mediocre. Maybe we should vote for worst instead of best

I love that idea. Maybe, I could actually win some! LOL

I totally love that idea, especially with Greg wishing he'd picked something else. I am sorry, Greg, if you thought I wanted this one. I just thought that had been your first selection and wanted to get on with the game.

Would anyone be hurt if we voted for the worst? I can tell you I wouldn't!

quote:

O

Would anyone be hurt if we voted for the worst? I can tell you I wouldn't!

I would because mine is a true masterpiece. Of course as all of mine are true, if often underappreciated, masterpieces...

quote:

Originally posted by BobHale:

quote:

O

Would anyone be hurt if we voted for the worst? I can tell you I wouldn't!

I would because mine is a true masterpiece. Of course as all of mine are true, if often underappreciated, masterpieces...

Modest to the end! LOL We can't rob Bob of his rightful win. Let's keep it as is.

quote:

Originally posted by sattva:

Modest to the end! LOL We can't rob Bob of his rightful win. Let's keep it as is.

Yes, I have often thought that excessive modesty is my only flaw.

LOL
Thank you, Bob. I really needed a good laugh (or cry). The news here has been getting to me.

Typical man.

"Crackenback" sounds like the story of a drug addict's redemption from cocaine.

Have there been any more? When can we see the entries?

One more, so that's 6 in total, do you guys want to run with that, and move on to the next (hopefully easier) game sooner rather than later?

I don't have another one in me. If no one else has one they are working on, I say, yes to run with it.

Okay, I've just posted a Poll - there were 7 of them actually. Go there and vote.

Votes are coming through slower than the limericks were, only one so far.

That's likely because we hate them all...

Are we voting for the best then?