Archive for July, 2014

Limerick of the Week (172)

Sunday, July 13th, 2014

It’s time to announce the latest Limerick of the Week based on submissions (on this blog and on Facebook) in last week’s Limerick-Off.

Congratulations to KONRAD SCHWOERKE, who wins Limerick of the Week for this funny verse:

The barkeep’s wife, Tilley, I’d drill
Ev’ry chance I could get — what a thrill!
But I took it too far
Having sex in the bar;
I got caught with my hand in his Till.

Congratulations to JON GEARHART, who wins this week’s Facebook Friends’ Choice Award for this limerick which received the most Facebook “likes.”

Okay ladies, you know the drill:
No diaphragm, condom, or pill
Will be bought by employers
Who have the best lawyers
Like Hobbyin’ Lobbyists will.

And congratulations to these Honorable Mention winners (in random order) Tim James, Allen Wilcox, Kathy El-Assal, Brian Allgar, Colleen Murphy, Fred Bortz, and Byron Ives. Here are their respective Honorable Mention limericks:

Tim James:

My hillbilly gal knew the drill;
She would make the best moonshine until
Fed’ral agents one day
Came and took her away.
Now she’s gone, and I yearn for her still.

Allen Wilcox:

The delegates – they knew the drill.
As they lined up to sign, they were still.
To declare they were free,
Which soon they would be,
They stood tall and were all dressed to quill.

Kathy El-Assal:

In cat houses, girls know the drill:
It’s giving their clients a thrill.
With mirrors revealing
What clothes were concealing,
The need for blue pills will be nil.

Brian Allgar:

Said Shakespeare “Thou knowest the drill.
’Tis said every Jack shall have Jill.
’Twixt thy legs I shall lay me —
Seek not to gainsay me,
For where there’s a way, there’s a Will.”

Colleen Murphy:

The young man repeated the drill
He did with incredible skill.
(He perfected this knowledge
By going to college.)
Pour the beer, chug it down, then refill.

Fred Bortz:

The surgeon perfected the drill.
He made each incision with skill.
He created a hole
Where there once was a pole,
And Ms. Willa was no longer Bill.

Byron Ives:

In boot camp, Will sure knew the drill.
To shoot on the range was a thrill.
He’d never been shot,
But it made his sack taut
When the sergeant yelled, “FIRE AT WILL!”

Congratulations again to all the winners for your wonderful limericks. And thanks to everyone for your fun submissions.

In the next couple of minutes I’ll be posting a new Limerick-Off, which gives you yet another opportunity to win Limerick Of The Week.

To receive an email alert whenever I post a new Limerick-Off, please email Madkane@MadKane.com Subject: MadKane’s Newsletter. Thanks!

Fried Limerick

Saturday, July 12th, 2014

Happy National French Fries Day (July 13.)

Fried Limerick
By Madeleine Begun Kane

I am not a big fan of French fries.
I don’t find them a sight for sore eyes.
(A sore stomach, perchance.)
Belgium fries, though, entrance.
But neither is wise for one’s thighs.

“Entrepreneur Barbie!” Are They Toying With Us?

Friday, July 11th, 2014

“Entrepreneur Barbie!” Are They Toying With Us?
By Madeleine Begun Kane

The new Barbie’s an “Entrepreneur.”
Mattel claims it’s intended to spur
Young girls to create
Their own bus’ness. But wait!
Why the form-fitting hot-pink couture?

I’m NOT making this up! “Entrepreneur Barbie,” from Mattel Canada, supposedly takes aim at the glass ceiling. Alas, it clearly misses:

It’s unclear by her garb what company she runs; instead of a power suit, she sports a form-fitting, hot pink sleeveless dress, and her briefcase looks more like a designer purse. The only hint that this doll means business are her tiny tablet and smartphone accessories.

Change is Good??? (Limerick)

Thursday, July 10th, 2014

Change is Good??? (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane

My allergy’s fine while inside.
I’ve no problem when outdoors I stride.
Then I go back indoors
And my nose says, “Up yours!”
I’m attacked, and there’s no place to hide.

A Birthday Limerick for my Husband Mark

Wednesday, July 9th, 2014

A birthday limerick for my wonderful husband Mark, who turns an undisclosed age today:

Happy birthday, dear hubby — you’re old,
Although younger than I, truth be told.
No need for debate —
There is NO better mate.
So how do I know this? I polled.

“No Bra Day” Ode

Tuesday, July 8th, 2014

“No Bra Day” Ode
By Madeleine Begun Kane

Today is “No Bra Day.” Oh my!
But just ONE braless day? Won’t comply
With the custom of binding
Our breasts. I’m not minding
Those rules. I declare, “Let them fly!”

UPDATE: In addition to being celebrated on July 9th, No Bra Day is also celebrated on October 13.

(For more bra humor, here’s my Wonderbra Song Parody.)

Charlotte’s Ruse

Monday, July 7th, 2014

Charlotte’s Ruse
By Madeleine Begun Kane

Ms. Charlotte was trying to fix
Choc’late brownies by using a mix.
Then she buried the box
Under undies and sox,
And declared them homemade. (They were bricks.)

Happy World Chocolate Day! (July 7)

December 8 is “National Brownie Day.”

Limerick Drill (Limerick-Off Monday)

Saturday, July 5th, 2014

It’s Limerick-Off time, once again. And that means I write a limerick, and you write your own, using the same first line. Then you post your limerick here and, if you’re a Facebook user, on Facebook too.

The best submission will be crowned Limerick Of The Week. (Here’s last week’s Limerick Of The Week Winner.)

How will your poems be judged? By meter, rhyme, cleverness, and humor. (If you’re feeling a bit fuzzy about limerick writing rules, here’s my How To Write A Limerick article.)

I’ll announce the Limerick of the Week Winner next Sunday, right before I post next week’s Limerick-Off. So that gives you a full week to submit your clever, polished verse. Your submission deadline is Saturday at 10:00 p.m. (Eastern Time.)

I hope you’ll join me in writing a limerick with this first line:

A fellow was wielding his drill…*

or

A teacher was trying to drill…*

or

The experienced clerk knew the drill…*

or

A fellow had loaned out his drill…*

*(Please note that minor variations to my first lines are acceptable. However, rhyme words may not be altered, except by using homonyms or homophones.)

Here’s my limerick:

Limerick Drill
By Madeleine Begun Kane

As the dentist was wielding his drill,
He yelled at his patient, “Sit still!”
Then he bellowed with gravity,
“God-awful cavity!
It’s nearly as large as my bill.”

Please feel free to write your own limerick using the same first line and post it in my comments. And if you’re on Facebook, I hope you’ll join my friends in that same activity on my Facebook Limerick-Off post.

To receive an email alert whenever I post a new Limerick-Off, please email Madkane@MadKane.com Subject: MadKane’s Newsletter. Thanks!

UPDATE: On January 26 we celebrate the anniversary of George Green’s 1875 electric dental drill patent. Okay … perhaps “celebrate” is the wrong word.

Limerick of the Week (171)

Saturday, July 5th, 2014

It’s time to announce the latest Limerick of the Week based on submissions (on this blog and on Facebook) in last week’s Limerick-Off.

Congratulations to TIM JAMES, who wins Limerick of the Week for this funny verse:

Rhett Butler reserved a nice suite
Where he and Miss Scarlett could meet.
But the bed had no linen.
The maid explained, grinnin’,
“Sir, frankly, I don’t give a sheet!”

Congratulations to CHRIS DOYLE, who wins this week’s Facebook Friends’ Choice Award for this limerick which received the most Facebook “likes.”

Ferlinghetti thinks status is sweet,
And for Ginsberg, renown is a treat.
But Jack Kerouac’s fame
Brings him obvious shame:
He’s becoming, well, read as a Beat.

And congratulations to these Honorable Mention winners (in random order) David McCormick a/k/a AdamantYves, Will T. Laughlin, Allen Wilcox, Scott Crowder, Robert Basler, Brian Allgar, Andrew Ryan, and Diane Groothuis. Here are their respective Honorable Mention limericks:

David McCormick:

I’ve married a woman who’s sweet,
One who constantly keeps herself neat,
One who cleans, one who cooks,
One who’s blessed with good looks.
I’m hoping these five never meet!

Will T. Laughlin:

The folks in the Honeymoon Suite
Are being a tad indiscreet.
Simple moans, groans and cries
Cause the staff no surprise —
But good god! What’s the source of that bleat?

Allen Wilcox:

Bragged the artist, “To paint is so sweet.
Slopping gobs on the sidewalk’s a treat.
I’ve done Pollock one better;
An opposites getter,
My work’s both abstract and concrete.”

Scott Crowder:

A man in the mood for a sweet,
Indulged in his favorite treat.
Though never a wuss,
He’s now a big puss.
They say that you are what you eat.

Robert Basler:

“Mademoiselle, are you over dix-huit?”
I would ask all the French chicks I meet.
If she’s 18 or older
I start to get bolder.
If she’s not, then I’m out of there, VITE!

Brian Allgar:

At Halloween, saucy and sweet,
A young lady was trawling my street
As the “Halloween Whore,”
So I opened the door,
And the trick that she turned was a treat.

Andrew Ryan:

My girlfriend is terribly sweet,
And I tried to propose in a Tweet.
But I’ve just asked if she
Would marinate me.
God-damn you dumb Auto-complete!

Diane Groothuis:

A cellist was playing a suite
By Bach at a musical meet
To tunes contrapuntal.
She showed them full-frontal,
And they noted her boobs hit her feet.

Will T. Laughlin:

Bach went, while composing his Suite,
To a Gentlemen’s Club for a treat.
As he watched the girls dance,
Inspiration (by chance)
Sent him “Air on the G-String,” complete.

Congratulations again to all the winners for your wonderful limericks. And thanks to everyone for your fun submissions.

In the next couple of minutes I’ll be posting a new Limerick-Off, which gives you yet another opportunity to win Limerick Of The Week.

To receive an email alert whenever I post a new Limerick-Off, please email Madkane@MadKane.com Subject: MadKane’s Newsletter. Thanks!

Ode To Workaholics

Saturday, July 5th, 2014

Today (July 5th) is National Workaholics Day.

Ode To Workaholics
By Madeleine Begun Kane

Workaholics endure a disease,
Which will cause neither cough nor a sneeze.
But they’re gripped by a fever;
They’re missing the lever
That permits them occasional ease.

Limerick Ode To A Stormy Independence Day

Friday, July 4th, 2014

Limerick Ode To A Stormy Independence Day
By Madeleine Begun Kane

The East Coast, alas, is awash
With Hurricane Arthurly slosh,
Bringing wind gusts and rain
And flooding — the bane
Of saluting the 4th with panache.

Limerick Ode To AC

Thursday, July 3rd, 2014

Today is the first day of Air Conditioning Appreciation days. (July 3 to August 15)

Limerick Ode To AC
By Madeleine Begun Kane

How I long to be sweaty-skin-free.
“Make it cool!” is my summertime plea.
Humidity, heat
Make me drip with defeat.
Yes indeed, I’m a fan of AC.