It isn't easy being a literalist!

I was workshopping this lovely limerick of Bob's (though, we Americans must say "obviously" with 2 syllables for it to work):

Though the ending's a little abrupt,
The intention is not to corrupt.
It's just that the rhyme
Seemed obvious this time
And without it this limerick's fupt!

Hmmm, "fupt" I thought. That's a new word for me. I looked it up in Dictionary.com and then in Onelook. Finally, I realized...

Then, I wrote someone a note saying I was waiting with "bated breath." I began to wonder it's origins, and I looked it up in Word Detective.
I thought, "Holding squirrels in their mouths? That's strange! I believed it hook, line and sinker...until the second paragraph. Good grief!

I really enjoy the way he writes. I've been enjoying his book tremendously.