The Great Limerick Challenge

[mousme]

Okay, folks. As some of you may know, I'm a complete limerick fiend, and I want to make a compilation to fuel my obsession.

So, I want you to post all your favourite limericks right here. If you have friends who aren't on my list or who have no LJs, point them here too. :)

There is no limit to the number of limericks anyone should post. In fact, I encourage you to post as many as you can think of. Feel free to make some up, too.

Have at it!

Comments

[curtana.livejournal.com]

It scans if you read it as "were TA-tooed the prices of ale" - rather than "ta-TOOED".

[joenotcharles.livejournal.com]

Er, yeah, but that's not how "tattoed" is pronounced. (Unless that's British or Australian or Texan or something? It's not how it's pronounced in my accent, anyway.)

[curtana.livejournal.com]

I assure you, it scans when I say it, and I'm not mispronouncing anything. Leave a single beat at the beginning of the second line.

My (rather feeble) attempt at representing the scansion, where the asterisks are the strong beats:

--*--*--*
(beat)-*--*--*
-*--*
--*--*
--*--*--*

[sorceror.livejournal.com]

METER WARS! ^_^

[joenotcharles.livejournal.com]

If I'm following that right, you're still putting the emphasis an TA instead of TOOED - which is not how "tattoed" is pronounced when you're reading it naturally! (If you DO pronounce tattooed that way when reading it naturally, just say so and I'll drop the whole thing.)

I don't mean to make a big deal out of this, but poetry (with rigid meter, like limericks) that has to be contorted by moving emphasis arond instead of being read naturally is a huge pet peeve of mine.

Another way to fix it would be "ta-TOOED were the / PRICE-es of ale", except that makes the grammar awkward.