The Limerick Game

[Teowulf]

Here's a game that I saw on the Chronicle of Higher Education forums, which I ended up reading for a while- finding it absolutely hilarious. Of course, most of the people replying were grad students or professors- but I still think we can do it here.

For those who don't know- a limerick is a short poem with a strict form. It has an AABBA rhyme scheme to it. The 1st, 2nd, and 5th lines have 3 metrical feet to.. actually, scratch that.... I'll just steal the form from some site and quote it:

The limerick is ... constructed of five lines with an anapestic beat (see below) and an AABBA rhyme scheme.

The anapest contains three syllables, the first two of which are unaccented and the last of which is accented (examples: comprehend or intervene.

Limerick Pattern

--/ --/ --/ A (da da DUM da da DUM da da DUM)
--/ --/ --/ A (da da DUM da da DUM da da DUM)
--/ --/ B (da da DUM da da DUM)
--/ --/ B (da da DUM da da DUM)
--/ --/ --/ A (da da DUM da da DUM da da DUM)
Limericks don't always stay true to that pattern, so feel free to stray a little. The important thing is to keep the proper number of syllables per line though (9,9,6,6,9)

Also, the 8,8,5,5,8 form is common.

Oh, and each little metric foot thingy doesn't have to be the "da da DUM"s. They can also be, and usually are "da DUM da"s.

Also, the first line usually introduces a person from a place (e.g. there once was a man from Nantucket)

Here are a couple of examples:

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.

An antique dealer from Lima, Peru ...
Had a passion for chocolate fondue.
He plunged in a carrot...
And pulled out a ferret
...all covered in rich, sticky goo.

There was a poor maid from Manhattan...
With a strange fetish for satin
While under the sheets
Performed many feats
Fulfilling her sexual passions.


So pretty much- one person says a line, and then the next person says the next line. Make sure that in your post you list the previous lines so that people who are just reading the thread don't have to put them together themselves.

Also, be sure that it's the same type of limerick (ie 99559 vs. 88448)

Oh, and try to save the punchline for the end (the rest should be build up)

So in this following rhyme, please refrain from using the most obvious sexual reference in the 2nd line.

I'll start:

There once was a girl from China (girl = 2 syllables in this instance)

 

[Teowulf]

Bump. It's not as scary as it appears, and it really doesn't take an English major to write limericks.

 

[chrono6456]

There once was a girl from China
Who lived in South Carolina


(I wonder what word this one will eventually end with....)

 

[Sullivan]

There once was a girl from China
Who lived in South Carolina
Had a fantasy for football

 

[Teowulf]

There once was a girl from China
Who lived in South Carolina
Had a fantasy for football

Too many syllables. Third line is supposed to be 5. And 2nd should be 9, chrono (although that works too if girl is pronounced as 1 syllable). Glad you tried. Pretty sure this will take off once people understand it. It certainly did on the LOTRO forum.

 

[Sullivan]

There once was a girl from China
Who lived in Deep South Carolina
Was a bit scared

Is this better?

 

[Andy]

There once was a girl from China
Who lived in Deep South Carolina
Was a bit scared
Her palms shined with sweat

 

[Teowulf]

There once was a girl from China
Who lived in Deep South Carolina
Was a bit scared
Her palms shined with sweat

The 4th line is supposed to rhyme with the 3rd. Nice attempt though, and you got the syllables right.

 

[Andy]

So did Sullivan do the 3rd line wrong?

 

[Teowulf]

So did Sullivan do the 3rd line wrong?

No, because the 4th line is supposed to rhyme with the 3rd, so you were the one who messed up the rhyme scheme.

 

[Andy]

Oh I see, seems obvious now.

There once was a girl from China
Who lived in Deep South Carolina
Was a bit scared
She stood there and stared

 

[Cryox]

i would do the last line... but i couldn't think of any other word that rhymed with China..... so i checked to see

 

[Teowulf]

i would do the last line... but i couldn't think of any other word that rhymed with China..... so i checked to see

Yeh, the last line is kind of obvious. Remember, most limericks end up being sexual.

 

[chrono6456]

Oh I see, seems obvious now.

There once was a girl from China
Who lived in Deep South Carolina
Was a bit scared
She stood there and stared

There once was a girl from China
Who lived in Deep South Carolina
Was a bit scared
She stood there and stared
and said, wait what? That's a vagina?

 

[amrcidiot]

There once was a man from Peru

 

[%chrono trigger%]

There once was a man from Peru
He hated how hard the wind blew

(lol i think thats 8 syllables )

 

[Teowulf]

There once was a man from Peru
He hated how hard the wind blew
And built a wall


(next line is 4, then 8)

 

[Cryox]

There once was a man from Peru
He hated how hard the wind blew
And built a wall
so he could call

 

[%chrono trigger%]

There once was a man from Peru
He hated how hard the wind blew
And built a wall
so he could call
an angry curly headed Jew