Carolyn
from Bella Online shares her thoughts about tavern limericks. The following
three are from her article.
There was
a sweet girl from Gadzooks
Who spent
all her time coaching crooks-
As
thieves they had fun
And she
needed no gun
'Cause
she'd just knock 'em dead with her looks.
There was
a weight trainer named Joe
Had a
voice that was sexy and low -
He
attracted a lass
With his
muscular ass
And a bag
overflowing with dough.
There was
a park ranger named Dale
Who liked
making moonshine and ale-
He first
filled a mug
But drank
the whole jug
Then
passed out and drowned in his pail.
My
favorite limerick is "A Barmaid From Sale"
On the
chest of a barmaid in Sale
Were
tattooed the prices of ale.
And on
her behind,
For the
sake of the blind,
Was the
same information in Braille.
The
limerick also known as nonsense verse is a popular form of short, humorous
verse that is often nonsensical and frequently ribald. It consists of five
lines, rhyming aabba, the first, second, and fifth lines must have three
accented beats in them. The third and fourth lines must have two accented
beats.
The
origin of the limerick is unknown, but it has been suggested that the name
derives from the chorus of an 18th-century Irish soldiers' song, "Will You Come
Up to Limerick?"
Here is
another theory as to origin of the Limerick.