A Limerick

[Jan Ivarsson TransEdit]

There are other versions of this, e.g.:

There was a young lady of Dee
Who went down to the river to ... swim
   A man in a punt
   Stuck an oar in her ... eye
And now the wears glasses, you see.

But Gershon Legman in "The Limerick" gives the original (?) version:

There was a young lady of Dee
Who went down to the river to pee.
   A man in a punt
   Put his hand on her cunt
And God! how I wish it was me.

He gives the source as "Cythera's Hymnal, or Flakes from the Foreskin", 1870.

Jan Ivarsson

----- Original Message -----
From: "Towse" <self at TOWSE.COM>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2003 1:00 AM
Subject: Re: [ADS-L] A Limerick


> "Baker, John" wrote:
> >
> >         I've been wondering about this old limerick for years, and it occurred to
> >  me that the able membership of the ADS might know the answer.  This is from memory
> > and originally from Harold Hart, Immortalia:  Limericks.
> >
> > There was a lovely young miss
> > Who went down to the river to wash clothes
> > But a man in a punt
> > stuck an oar in her eye
> > And now she has to wear glasses
> >
> >         I think I can work out the second and fourth lines, but for what word or
> > phrase is the poem's closing a euphemism?
>
> There was a young girl from Dundee
> Was taking a swim in the sea
> But a man in a punt
> Stuck an oar in her ... eye
> And now she wears glasses you see
>
> Sal