Opinion : Defining with lines of rhythms and rhymes at OEDILF

The good news about August allergies is that they force me to spend more time inside, which gives me more chances to read.

The bad news (besides the fact that it's difficult to read in between sneezes and with itchy, watery eyes) is that I am an easily distracted reader.

I began, weeks ago, reading a biography of my favorite journalist. But 'Mike Royko: A Life in Print," is also a history of journalism and the earliest newspaper columnist.

Before I had gotten through more than a few pages of the book, I was Googling Eugene Field, the 19th Century columnist and poet. (He is also the guy who is famous for writing "Wynken, Blynken and Nod."

Reading the poetry reminded me of some limericks I had read. The search for intellectual limericks led me to one of the coolest, smartest web sites in the world: OEDILF.

OEDLIF stands for "Omnificent English Dictionary In Limerick Form."

As the name implies, OEDILF has only one goal: To create a dictionary of every word in the English language that defines that word with a limerick.

For example, a random limerick on the web site defines the word "absurd."

It was once deemed a sin black as soot
To place at a sentence's foot
A mere preposition.
"Absurd superstition,
Up with which," Churchill roared, "I'll not put."

Anyone is welcome to submit a limerick for the dictionary. It's all voluntary, of course. And the editors are very selective. The poems must be in true limerick style, and must clearly define a word. The rhymes must be exact, unlike many modern song lyrics.

The project is estimated to take another 26 years. Currently, the editors are taking only words that begin with A- through EL-.

I have written a few limericks for the site, but so far, only two of them were deemed acceptable.

I tried to write a limerick for the word "beleaguer," but that effort simply left me beleaguered.

I found more success with the word "Elect."

The finished version goes like this:

Each November, determine the winners;
Line up classes for college beginners;
Ecclesiastical noun —
Calvin made Wesley frown —
Thinking men either "chosen" or sinners.

But it took me five or six re-writing sessions to get the rhyme to be in true limerick form, with the right rhythm and accurate rhymes.

My first version was:

Each November acknowledging winners,
Lining up classes for collegiate beginners;
Ecclesiastical noun —
Calvin claimed that he'd found
Total sourcing of both saints and sinners

However, "found" and "noun" do not rhyme exactly, and there were problems with the rhythm. So I changed it, with help from some OEDILF's editors. And changed it and changed it.

So, if you want to participate, you will have to be willing to let others criticize your work. They may tell you it's not quite good enough to use yet, or even tell you it's not good enough period.

And of course, there are many words that are by nature much easier to define than others. Some words are hard to define. Some words do not rhyme with other words. Some words, like beleaguered, are both.

But the smart and poetically-astute can do it.

For example, this offering from someone who calls themselves "rbalexx:"

He strides from the dugout so eager,
But the pitches he's seeing are meager.
First slider, then curve,
They drop and they swerve,
To subdue this beleaguered big-leaguer.

It's a challenge. It's fun. And you would be helping other English-speakers to have unique ways to define words we use every day (and a few we virtually never use).

Click HERE to start helping us define words with limericks, and to find out how.