The Penguin Book of Limericks

by Robin Jacques (Illustrator), E. O. Parrott (Editor)

Gathers a variety of tongue twisters and humorous poems about history, religion, politics, mathematics, psychology, and sex

Genres: Poetry, Humor, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published October 1, 1985

About the author

Robin Jacques was a British artist and book illustrator. Born in London in 1920, he had no formal art training, but taught himself to draw and began working for an advertising agency in his teens. He was the art editor for Strand magazine and art director for the Central Office of Information. He began teaching at Harrow College of Art in 1973 and at Canterbury Art College and Wimbledon Art College in 1975. As a book illustrator, Jacques was prolific: he illustrated over 100 novels and children's books from the 1940s to the 1980s, most notably the fairy-tale compilations of Ruth Manning-Sanders. Jacques was married three times, and had one son. His sister was the well-known actress, Hattie Jacques. He died in 1995.

Reviews

[Einzige · Rating 3 out of 5]

Terribly indexed and ordered but the limericks themselves are quite enjoyable. An older selection as amidst the smut there are a lot which rely on Latin and French. Also the compiler cheekily inserted a few of their own.

Some examples

There was a young lady tut tut
So you think that you are in for some smut
Some 5 line crescendo
Of lewd innuendo
Well you are wrong this is anything but.

****

Remember when you are bemusing
and daily decisions confusing
That for life existential
the thing that's essential
Is never the choice but the choosing.

****

A man who had lately declared
That property ought to be shared
Thought it going too far
When they called for his car
And a list of exemptions prepared.

****
Said Wittgenstein don't be misled
What can be shown cannot be said
He aimed to be sensible
Not incomprehensible
But wrote the Tractatus instead.

[Jazzy Lemon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Taking an unscholarly look
At these limericks, I swallowed the hook
Sexual perversions
& Bawdy excursions
Why, before long I finished the book

[Shelby Heikkinen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favorite. But it's pretty decent. I like to do some amount. Some inappropriate limericks in there. Just a warning to adults and parents out there.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terribly indexed and ordered but the limericks themselves are quite enjoyable. An older selection as amidst the smut there are a lot which rely on Latin and French. Also the compiler cheekily inserted a few of their own.

Some examples

There was a young lady tut tut
So you think that you are in for some smut
Some 5 line crescendo
Of lewd innuendo
Well you are wrong this is anything but.

****

Remember when you are bemusing
and daily decisions confusing
That for life existential
the thing that's essential
Is never the choice but the choosing.

****

A man who had lately declared
That property ought to be shared
Thought it going too far
When they called for his car
And a list of exemptions prepared.

****
Said Wittgenstein don't be misled
What can be shown cannot be said
He aimed to be sensible
Not incomprehensible
But wrote the Tractatus instead.

[Lucia Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 Limericks from the book:


As the poets have mournfully sung,
Death takes the innocent young,
The rolling-in-money,
The screamingly funny,
And those who are very well hung.
-W.H. Auden


In Tibet, they can toss, like confetti,
The proofs that they've snapped, from a jetty,
Abominable snowmen -
Apparently no men
Have managed to film them, just yeti.
-Bill Greenwell


There was a trombonist called Herb,
Whose playing was loud (though superb);
When neighbours complained,
Young Herbert explained:
'But great art is meant to disturb.'
-Ron Rubin

[HeavyReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Julie F. gave me this book. She left it on my back steps with a note saying she thought I would like it. In fact, I did like it.

It was fun to read so many limericks, one right after another.

I have to say, some I didn't understand. Some had Latin phrases in them, and I don't know Latin. Some I think counted on a British pronunciation, and I am not British.

Of course, my favorites were the bawdy ones!

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

What led to the crassness of Custer,
With hardly a unit to muster?
At the Little Big Horn,
Sitting Bull gave a yawn,
And said, "You're a sitting duck, buster!"

[keereads · Rating 4 out of 5]

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