A group on the discussion boards at Wordcraft have begun an ambitious project—rewriting the entire Oxford English Dictionary in limericks. It’s referred to, rather appropriately, as The Oxford English Dictionary in Limerick Form, or (even more appropriately, if you ask me) the OEDILF.
They’ve progressed so far, well, into the early parts of “a”—but it’s a strong start, and as they pick up more and more volunteer limericists (can I say that?!) editor-in-chief Chris Strolin projects a finish well before the end of the 29th century. In fact, he mentions in the FAQ that “taking into consideration the assistance of like-minded individuals and the very real possibility that this whole idea is just weird enough to catch fire in a big way, …it might be entirely possible we could knock this off in 15 years or less.” Not too shabby, eh? 😉
When you’re in the mood, I’d suggest you run over to the boards and take a look at what’s going on. They’ve got everything, of course, from the simple to the esoteric. Here’s a small sampling:
accident-prone
Your thigh, as the x‑rays have shown,
Is busted. Likewise your shin bone.
No ifs, ands, or buts,
Maybe God hates your guts.
(Or perhaps you’re just accident-prone.)acorn
How far we can reach is the test of us,
The measure of the worst and the best of us.
Great oaks, as you know,
From small acorns can grow,
So surely there’s hope for the rest of us!acetabuliferous
An octopus appeared in a clearing
With tentacles that fish were all fearing
Acetabuliferous
Meaning “simply splendiferous”
Or “bearing suckers, as if for adhering.”absquatulate
The source of some words can be blurry
Which makes etymologists worry.
From the “Latin” one gleans
That “absquatulate” means
“To abscond” or “depart in a hurry.”