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Discussion Groups / English Usage / June 2009Lear limerick
There is a Lear limerick that begins: "There was an Old Man on some rocks, Who shut his wife up in a box." This was written maybe in the 1860s or the 1870s. Was "rocks" used then for some sort of drug? Isn't 'a rock' used now for some kind of drug? > There is a Lear limerick that begins: > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > This was written maybe in the 1860s or the 1870s. Was "rocks" used then > for some sort of drug? Isn't 'a rock' used now for some kind of drug? Rocks as part of the landscape. See Lear's own illustration at http://www.nonsenselit.org/Lear/BoN/bon070.html (scroll down)  SignatureLaura (emulate St. George for email) >> There is a Lear limerick that begins: >> [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > (scroll down) I noticed that Lear rhymes "box" with "box" in that limerick. In all the others (by Lear), there are similar rhymes, with the last word (5th line) the same as the last word of the first or second line. That doesn't seem right. Some sample limericks (found online) that don't "double dip": The limerick packs laughs anatomical In space that is quite economical, But the good ones I've seen So seldom are clean, And the clean ones so seldom are comical. There once was a girl named Irene Who lived on distilled kerosene But she started absorbin' A new hydrocarbon And since then has never benzene. There was a young woman of old Natchez Whose garments were always in patchez When comment arose On the state of her clothes, She drawled, When Ah itchez, Ah scratchez! That last one is from Ogden Nash. I'm not sure who wrote the other two. SignatureMaria Conlon Maria Conlon: > The limerick packs laughs anatomical ... > There once was a girl named Irene ... > There was a young woman of old Natchez ... > That last one is from Ogden Nash. I'm not sure who wrote the other two. I could be wrong, but I think both are from Isaac Asimov. SignatureMark Brader, Toronto "Suspicion breeds confidence." msb@vex.net -- BRAZIL > Maria Conlon: > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > I could be wrong, but I think both are from Isaac Asimov. The "laughs anatomical" one dates to 1956 at Gooboo. http://books.google.com/books?id=ztIvAAAAMAAJ&q=%22laughs+anatomical%22+date:0-1 962&pgis=1 not that you can see it in the snippet. That doesn't prove anything, but it seems a bit early for one of Asimov's to have escaped into the wild, and uncharacteristic for him to have claimed it. (At least I didn't notice any evidence that he had.) -- Jerry Friedman Mark Brader: > > I could be wrong, but I think both are from Isaac Asimov. Jerry Friedman: > The "laughs anatomical" one dates to 1956 at Gooboo. http://books.google.com/books?id=ztIvAAAAMAAJ&q=%22laughs+anatomical%22+date:0-1 962&pgis=1 > not that you can see it in the snippet. > > That doesn't prove anything, but it seems a bit early for one of > Asimov's to have escaped into the wild, and uncharacteristic for him > to have claimed it. (At least I didn't notice any evidence that he > had.) Then I guess I was right -- I *was* wrong. SignatureMark Brader, Toronto | "Mark is probably right about something, msb@vex.net | but I forget what" -- Rayan Zachariassen > Mark Brader: > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Then I guess I was right -- I *was* wrong. Not as wrong as leaving out a "not". -- Jerry Friedman Jerry Friedman: > Not as wrong as leaving out a "not". As wrong as what? :-) What "not"? Whodunit? SignatureMark Brader, Toronto "I'd opt for Oz, myself." msb@vex.net --Buck Henry >> Maria Conlon: >>> The limerick packs laughs anatomical ... >>> There once was a girl named Irene ... >>> There was a young woman of old Natchez ... >>> That last one is from Ogden Nash. I'm not sure who wrote the >>> other two. >> I could be wrong, but I think both are from Isaac Asimov. > The "laughs anatomical" one dates to 1956 at Gooboo. > http://books.google.com/books?id=ztIvAAAAMAAJ&q=%22laughs+anatomical%22+date:0-1 962&pgis=1 > not that you can see it in the snippet. > That doesn't prove anything, but it seems a bit early for one of > Asimov's to have escaped into the wild, and uncharacteristic for him > to have claimed it. (At least I didn't notice any evidence that he > had.) If that's too early to be Asimov, then so is the Young Lady of Natchez, whom I remember reading about (in that form) in a collection of jokes, riddles, and verses for children*: I was in New York at the time, and therefore the collection must have been published well before 1955. *Why is a blotter like a lazy dog? (ink-lined plane/inclined plane/slope up/slow pup) Those were simpler days. > If that's too early to be Asimov, then so is the Young Lady of > Natchez, whom I remember reading about (in that form) in a > collection of jokes, riddles, and verses for children*: I was in New > York at the time, and therefore the collection must have been > published well before 1955. Requiem There was a young belle of old Natchez Whose garments were always in patchez. When comment arose On the state of her clothes, She drawled, When Ah itchez, Ah scratchez! -- Ogden Nash Signature--- Joe Fineman joe_f@verizon.net ||: If you can't pay it back, pay it forward. :|| >> If that's too early to be Asimov, then so is the Young Lady of >> Natchez, whom I remember reading about (in that form) in a >> collection of jokes, riddles, and verses for children*: I was in >> New York at the time, and therefore the collection must have been >> published well before 1955. > Requiem > There was a young belle of old Natchez > Whose garments were always in patchez. > When comment arose > On the state of her clothes, > She drawled, When Ah itchez, Ah scratchez! -- Ogden > Nash Ah, thank you. Googling indicates that it's from _I'm a Stranger Here Myself_, published in 1938, and so had plenty of time to be plagiarised and adapted before I saw it. I'm almost certain there was no credit given. >>>> If you can't pay it back, pay it forward. :|| >>> There is a Lear limerick that begins: >>> [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > >That doesn't seem right. It may not seem right now, but to Lear it was an essential qualification for being a limerick, and he invariably followed that rule. SignatureDon Aitken Mail to the From: address is not read. To email me, substitute "clara.co.uk" for "freeuk.com" >>I noticed that Lear rhymes "box" with "box" in that limerick. In all >>the [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > qualification for being a limerick, and he invariably followed that > rule. I did wonder about that possibility. Thanks for letting me know. SignatureMaria Conlon >>I noticed that Lear rhymes "box" with "box" in that limerick. In all >>the others (by Lear), there are similar rhymes, with the last word [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > qualification for being a limerick, and he invariably followed that > rule. Indeed, such limericks are sometimes called Learicks. Signature--- Joe Fineman joe_f@verizon.net ||: Bullies love silly rules. :|| >>>> There is a Lear limerick that begins: >>>> [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > qualification for being a limerick, and he invariably followed that > rule. Not invariably and not essential, as other items in the book, linked from that page, show: http://www.nonsenselit.org/Lear/BoN/bon030.html There was an Old Man who supposed, That the street door was partially closed; But some very large rats, Ate his coats and his hats, While that futile old gentleman dozed. There was a Young Lady whose eyes, Were unique as to colour and size; When she opened them wide, People all turned aside, And started away in surprise. http://www.nonsenselit.org/Lear/BoN/bon060.html There was an Old Lady whose folly, Induced her to sit on a holly; Whereon by a thorn, Her dress being torn, She quickly became melancholy. SignatureJohn Dean Oxford >>> There is a Lear limerick that begins: >>> [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > >That doesn't seem right. Lear was very early and many of his limericks seem weak or a little cheaty these days. Loved the Book of Nonsense as a kid, 'though. SignatureRichard Bollard Canberra Australia To email, I'm at AMT not spAMT. |
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