Limericks

Tony Davie's Limerick Archive

This collection of limericks contains, as do most such collections, many items that are not exactly PC. In fact the form delights in Incorrectness, Political, Sexual, Social, Moral or any other ...al. Remember

 

The limerick packs laughs anatomical

Into space that is quite economical.

But the good ones I've seen

So seldom are clean -

And the clean ones so seldom are comical.

and

 

The limerick's callous and crude,

Its morals distressingly lewd;

It's not worth the reading

By persons of breeding -

It's designed for us vulgar and rude.

If you're worried about this, there's a version of the archive which has been laundered whiter than snow (I hope!)

On the other hand, I have attempted to moderate this complete version of the collection using the criterion of wit rather than sh*t. One day I may categorize the archive and/or provide a spelling index to it. I would emphasise that it is my own personal choice (though it has gradually taken on an archival character and very little gets left out). I was proud and honoured recently to receive the

The Pentatette Seal of Approval

The Pentatette is the monthly magazine of the Limerick Special Interest Group of American Mensa. They have an interesting home page.

You are free to send me limericks which you think might be worthy of inclusion, but I reserve the right to reject them!!! Mail me

 

 

Other Limerick Pages - Major ones marked !!

Anyone who knows of new pages or where old ones have gone, please mail me with the details

Verbal and Non-electronic Sources

A15
Anecdotes and Adventures of Fifteen Gentlemen, (London, John Marshall: 1822), Author unknown but possibly Richard Scrafton Sharpe, a Bishopsgate grocer. Drawings are by Robert Cruikshank.
AJTD
Original Limerick by Tony Davie
B-G
The Lure of the Limerick, W.S. Baring-Gould, Panther, 1970 (Contains an extensive bibliography)
CA
A Seizure of Limericks, Conrad Aitken, 1964
CPV
Count Palmiro Vicarion's Book of Limericks, The Olympia Press, Paris
CTD
Original Limerick by Cedric Thorpe Davie
DEPJ
Limerick quoted by D.E.P. Jackson
EOP
The Penguin Book of Limericks, E.O. Parrott, Penguin Books Ltd., 1984
HHH
The World's Best Dirty Limericks, Harold H. Hart, Angus & Robertson Publ., 1982
H16
The History of Sixteen Wonderful Women, (London, John Harris:1820?, 1821?), Author unknown
JM
Original Limerick by John Main
L1
The Limerick, Vol. 1, G.Legman, Panther Books, 1976
L2
The Limerick, Vol. 2, G.Legman, Panther Books, 1976
JR
Up the Cistern, James Riddle, Sphere, 1984
Lear
The Book of Nonsense, Edward Lear
TGD
Original Limerick by Tom Duncan
A little Treasury of Limericks Fair and Foul, John Letts
KS
From Ken Smith's WWW collection, now, alas, gone from the web.
TP
From Toast Point Competitions
LC
Limericks transcribed from a program called 'Limerick Choice' broadcast on 22nd Dec. 1995 on BBC Radio 3. Presenter Susan Sharpe, assisted by 'Kit and the Widow'. Each gave a prize for an original limerick on a musical theme.