Some limericks
Alex C. Tselis
For those who are a little conversant with relativity theory:
There was once a fellow named Fisk
Whose fencing was exceedingly brisk
So fast was his action
That the Fitzgerald contraction
Reduced his rapier to a disk.
For those who like mathematical limericks:
There was once a young scholar at Trinity
Who tried taking the square root of infinity
But the number of digits
Gave him the fidgets
So he dropped maths and took up divinity.
John Purbrick
> Here are a few limericks, some of which may be well known.
> For those who are a little conversant with relativity theory:
> There was once a fellow named Fisk
> Whose fencing was exceedingly brisk
> So fast was his action
> That the Fitzgerald contraction
> Reduced his rapier to a disk.
{This limerick is printed unroted for purposes of discussion only}
> There once was a fellow named Lancelot,
> Upon whom the neighbors looked askance a lot,
> For whenever he'd pass
> A presentable lass
> The front of his pants would advance a lot.
Here is something said twice; hopefully it makes the object of this posting
clear.
A physicist from the Midwest
Writes verses, but not of the best.
He'd find they are neater
If written with meter;
He should go and look up "anapest".
A limerick gallops along
With a rhythm you mustn't get wrong.
This fact, although true,
Isn't taught at Purdue.
They should teach them "two shorts, then a long".
e.leeper
It's hardly fair to criticize A.T. for "his" meter in "his" limericks--the
limericks he posted have been around since I was in high school! (That's
1964-1968, folks!)
Evelyn C. Leeper
==> Note new net address: ...ihnp4!ahuta!ecl
(Mail sent to my old address will be forwarded temporarily.)
John Purbrick
>> There was once a fellow named Fisk
>> Whose fencing was exceedingly brisk
>> So fast was his action
>> That the Fitzgerald contraction
>> Reduced his rapier to a disk.
>> There once was a fellow named Lancelot,
>> Upon whom the neighbors looked askance a lot,
It's absolutely fair. You're right, both of these are classics, but he
mutilated them. Doesn't a miswritten verse scream out when you try to read it?
The first limerick ought to read:
There once was a fellow named Fisk
Whose fencing was terribly brisk;
So fast was his action,
Fitzgerald contraction
Foreshortened his foil to a disk.
And the second line of the second limerick should be:
"Whom people all looked at askance a lot"
Please don't say it doesn't make any difference! Just try reading A.T.'s
versions out loud.
John Purbrick
>> There was once a fellow named Fisk
>> Whose fencing was exceedingly brisk
>> So fast was his action
>> That the Fitzgerald contraction
>> Reduced his rapier to a disk.
>> There once was a fellow named Lancelot,
>> Upon whom the neighbors looked askance a lot,
It's absolutely fair. You're right, both of these are classics, but he
mutilated them. Doesn't a miswritten verse scream out when you try to read it?
The first limerick ought to read:
There once was a fellow named Fisk
Whose fencing was terribly brisk;
So fast was his action,
Fitzgerald contraction
Foreshortened his foil to a disk.
And the second limerick should begin:
"There once was a fellow named Lancelot,
Whom people all looked at askance a lot"
Please don't say it doesn't make any difference! Just try reading A.T.'s
versions out loud.
This one isn't original:
I'm sorry to say there's a man
Whose limericks never quite scan.
He can never complete
Any poem with feet--
He said "The trouble is that I always try to get as many words into the
last line as I possibly can!"