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The Penguin Book of Limericks

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

304 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1985

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E.O. Parrott

8 books1 follower

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5 stars
12 (19%)
4 stars
26 (41%)
3 stars
20 (31%)
2 stars
2 (3%)
1 star
3 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Profile Image for Einzige.
353 reviews19 followers
July 2, 2017
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.

Profile Image for Jazzy Lemon.
1,157 reviews125 followers
March 29, 2018
Taking an unscholarly look
At these limericks, I swallowed the hook
Sexual perversions
& Bawdy excursions
Why, before long I finished the book
Profile Image for Shelby Heikkinen.
94 reviews
May 8, 2023
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.
1 review
December 8, 2017
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.
Profile Image for Lucia Jane.
498 reviews11 followers
April 3, 2020
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

Profile Image for HeavyReader.
2,246 reviews14 followers
December 26, 2008
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!
Profile Image for Donna.
1,377 reviews
October 2, 2010
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!"
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews