16+ Funny (& Famous) Limerick Examples You’ll Love

by Debbie Rebar

on

If you’re looking for some limerick examples, you’re in the right place!

Whether you’re seeking entertainment from this particular literary device or want to learn and understand it better, we’ve got you covered.

While covering most things about literature can be tedious and rigid, having the levity of limerick poems thrown in is like a breath of fresh air.

Many consider the limerick poem to be a tool to break a bout of writer’s block as it spurs creativity (as writing poetry usually does) and it’s easy to whip out, like this one:

A small block is causing you to fret

You’ve tried and tried, and there’s nothing yet

  The limerick, with its quick word

  Is the solution you’ve heard 

In the fun wit, creative you’ll get. 

Let’s dig in and learn more about the lively limerick.

What is a Limerick?

Limerick poems are specific types of poetry that appeared in England in the early 18th century. 

However, the style is most often attributed to the 19th century when Edward Lear popularized it. 

What distinguishes a limerick is its structure. 

Limerick form calls for a short five-line poem that is predominantly anapestic trimeter with a rhyme scheme of AABBA where the first line, second line, and fifth line rhyme. The third line and fourth line are shorter in length and rhyme with each other. 

This style is so popular it has its own day of recognition. National Limerick Day is observed every year on May 12th. 

This limerick example by an anonymous author does a great job of demonstrating the art:

Limerick Example #1

A — The limerick packs laughs anatomical

A — Into space that is quite economical.

  B — But the good ones I’ve seen

  B — So seldom are clean

A — And the clean ones so seldom are comical.

As does this one by Fred Hornaday:

Limerick Example #2

limerick examples Fred Hornaday example

One peculiar thing about limerick poetry is that it rarely has a title. If you see one with a title, it’s usually just the poem’s first line.

You’ve undoubtedly giggled at the absurdity or blushed at the naughtiness of a limerick somewhere along the way, so it’s no surprise to learn that limericks are a poetic form of literary nonsense. 

The Most Famous Limerick Examples

Without question, the most famous limerick is about a man from Nantucket. 

Nantucket lends itself well to the clever wordplay of a limerick, so there are many variations to the original — so many that it’s not clear what the original was. 

However, it’s believed to be the following written by Prof. Dayton Voorhees in 1902 for the Princeton Tiger:

Limerick Example #3

There once was a man from Nantucket

Who kept all his cash in a bucket.

    But his daughter named, Nan

    Ran away with a man

And as for the bucket, Nantucket.

The most famous of all traditional limericks is a nursery rhyme we all know. Hickory Dickory Dock first appeared in 1780 (or 1781) in a book called Mother Goose’s Melody, or, Sonnets for the Cradle, as the following:

Limerick Example #4

Dickery, dickery dock,

The mouse ran up the clock;

  The clock struck one,

  The mouse ran down,

Dickery, dickery dock.

Which later became the more popular:

limerick examples Hickory Dickory Dock

Any list of most famous limericks would be incomplete without some work by Edward Lear which brings us to one of his popular offerings:

Limerick Example #5

There was an Old Man with a beard,

Who said, ‘It is just as I feared!

  Two Owls and a Hen,

  Four Larks and a Wren,

Have all built their nests in my beard!

If these examples made you giggle, read on for another limerick poem example.  

Funny Limerick Examples Guaranteed to Make You Laugh

What makes the limerick so appealing is its humor. Of course, humor is subjective, so not everyone will enjoy or appreciate the humor of every limerick author.

Below are some of the most universally accepted as funny limericks.

The author of this first humorous poem is unknown, which this writer finds particularly unfortunate as I appreciate their style:

Limerick Example #6

There was a young lady named Cager

Who, as the result of a wager,

  Consented to fart

  The complete oboe part

Of Mozart’s quartet in F major.

Ogden Nash was quite the witty writer when it came to his lyrics. He’s perhaps most well-known for this classic limerick:

Limerick Example #7

There was a young belle of old Natchez

Whose garments were always in patchez.

  When comments arose

  On the state of her clothes,

She replied, “When Ah itchez, Ah scratchez.”

Limerick Example #8

limerick examples Keith's Teeth

While all limericks share this whimsical style, some writers add a dose of innuendo or raunch to elicit a slightly different reader response.

Dirty Limerick Examples To Make You Blush

It’s impossible to give a thorough list of limerick examples without venturing into the dirty or naughty realm that the limerick does so well. It’s always just enough to cause a pause and a slight blush to the cheeks but in a way that doesn’t feel obscene. 

Limerick Example #9

This one by Michael R. Burch only slightly ventures into naughtiness and is still sure to give you a smile:

limerick examples Michael Burch

‘Anonymous’ is the most prolific author of naughty limericks. Some authors find them fun to write, even if they are too embarrassed to claim them publicly.

Here’s one you might enjoy:

Limerick Example #10

On the Breast of a woman named Gale 

was tattooed the price of her tail 

  and on her behind 

  for the sake of the blind 

was the same information in braille.

Anonymous also gets credit for this one:

Limerick Example #11

A pirate, history relates

Was scuffling with some of his mates

  When he slipped on a cutlass

  Which rendered him nutless

And practically useless on dates

This site is a professional one, so we’ll keep things PG-rated, but if more adult humor is your thing, you will find plenty of R-rated limericks with just a quick search on the internet.

Silly Limerick Examples For Kids

Silly limericks are a great first introduction to poetry for even the youngest kids.

A limerick is a nonsense poem; we know how kids love nonsense. Plus, a large part of the appeal of the limerick is its simplicity, which makes them ideal for younger audiences.  

Edward Lear penned the following funny poem that has caused many giggles since its publication in A Book of Nonsense in 1846.   

Limerick Example #12

There was a Young Lady whose chin, 

Resembled the point of a pin; 

  So she had it made sharp, 

  And purchased a harp, 

And played several tunes with her chin.

This kid-friendly limerick is another favorite by an anonymous author:

Limerick Example #13

A mouse in her room woke Miss Dowd

She was frightened; it must be allowed,

  Soon a happy thought hit her

  To scare off the critter

She sat up in bed and meowed

Carolyn Wells gives us a limerick that is also a bit of a tongue twister which seems to make it even sillier.

Limerick Example #14

A tutor who tooted a flute

Tried to teach two young tooters to toot

  Said the two to the tutor,

  “Is it harder to toot, or . . .

To tutor two tooters to toot?”

Graham Lester is another well-known limerick writer with many famous limericks to his credit, including this one:

Limerick Example #15

limerick examples Graham Lester

He also penned this one with its fun play on words:

Limerick Example #16

I arrived at the Hotel Belle Vue

With my kanga and motorbike too.

  Said the doorman, “Good day!

  Am I right when I say

That you’re needing a vroom with a roo?”

And he wrote this silly one that is great for kids because while it’s funny as it is, it also defines what a limerick is in a fun way that is easy to remember:

Limerick Example #17

What a limerick is in a crunch

Is a bit like a loony’s light lunch

  Though it briefly delights

  It’s just four nutty bites

Swallowed down with a ludicrous punch.

These examples make it easy to see why the limerick has stood the test of time and remains a respectable verse form. But reading is only half the fun when it comes to limericks. 

Let These Limerick Examples Inspire You

So now it’s your turn! 

Whether you’re trying to break a case of writer’s block, you want to exercise your creative writing muscles, or you just want to engage in some clever wordplay, I leave you with this:

Pick up your pen; these are fun to write

Not like long prose that may cause a fright

  These take a short while

  And might make you smile

You may want to write ten in a night!

Photo of author

Debbie Rebar

Debbie is a Smart Blogger Certified Content Marketer, Copywriter, Editor, and SEO Strategist. She specializes in helping people get their great work out into the world with the right strategy and messaging to connect to their best customers and improve their Google search engine ranking. She started working from home long before we agreed it could be done, running her own thriving business, In Credible Hands since 2003.
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Written by Debbie Rebar

Debbie is a Smart Blogger Certified Content Marketer, Copywriter, Editor, and SEO Strategist. She specializes in helping people get their great work out into the world with the right strategy and messaging to connect to their best customers and improve their Google search engine ranking. She started working from home long before we agreed it could be done, running her own thriving business, In Credible Hands since 2003.