Home › Glossary › Letter L

limerick cousin

Form
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A humorous or light verse form resembling a limerick but with slight structural or metrical variations

Detailed Definition
Limerick cousin refers to a humorous or light verse form resembling the limerick—typically five lines with an AABBA rhyme scheme and anapestic meter—but with variations in rhythm, tone, or subject matter that distinguish it from the classic model. These variants may soften the bawdiness or expand thematic range while retaining the limerick’s playful musicality.
Example
Example in poetry:
A limerick cousin: "There was a young lady from Kent, / Whose nose was so long it was bent. / She covered it well, / With stories to tell, / And a hat that was truly immense"—6 lines; Another: 5 lines but with anapestic trimeter instead of dimeter; Student example with AABB rhyme instead of AABBA; A humorous verse with limerick tone but no refrain
Additional Notes
limerick cousin refers to humorous or light verse forms structurally or tonally related to the limerick (AABBA rhyme, anapestic meter) but varying in line count or subject; students should recognize how these forms use rhythm and surprise for comic or satirical effect—examples include the clerihew or double dactyl, which play with biographical or absurd content.
Also Known As
near-limerick limerick variant limerick-like stanza humorous five-liner AABBA quintain
Skip to main content