> On 5/12/2024 6:53 PM, Ross Clark wrote:
>> Birthday of Edward Lear (1812-1888).
>> A Book of Nonsense (1846) has 112 of them.
>> But he didn't invent it, says Crystal, and cites:
>>
>> And let me the canakin clink, clink;
>> And let me the canakin clink;
>> A soldier's a man
>> O, man's life's but a span;
>> Why, then, let a soldier drink.
>> -- (Shakespeare, Othello)
>>
>> Yah, OK, he didn't invent the metrical pattern or the rhyme scheme.
>> But still -- The Limerick As We Know It?
>>
>> He also didn't name it. Name first attested 1896, several years after
>> Lear's death.
>> Origin of name -- Crystal has a story, can't be arsed repeating it.
>> May check with OED.
>>

what's the story?

i don't know that expression. ...
[can't be arsed repeating it] -- is that NZ English?

Yes, "can't be arsed repeating it" is a common expression in New Zealand
English. It's a vulgar slang way of saying "I can't be bothered
repeating it" or "I'm too lazy to repeat it."

Here's a breakdown:

"Can't be arsed": This is a vulgar slang way of saying "can't be
bothered." "Arsed" is a vulgar term for "having to do with the buttocks."

Context: This expression is used informally among friends or
acquaintances. It wouldn't be appropriate in formal settings.

Here are some ニュージーランド英語 (New Zealand English) alternatives with a
similar meaning, but less vulgar:

-- "Can't be bothered repeating it"

-- "I already said that"

-- "Look it up yourself" (informal)

While "can't be arsed" is understood in New Zealand, it's important to
be aware of the informal and potentially offensive nature of the term.

On 5/13/2024 2:45 AM, HenHanna wrote:
>
>> On 5/12/2024 6:53 PM, Ross Clark wrote:
>>> Birthday of Edward Lear (1812-1888).
>>> A Book of Nonsense (1846) has 112 of them.
>>> But he didn't invent it, says Crystal, and cites:
>>>
>>> And let me the canakin clink, clink;
>>> And let me the canakin clink;
>>> A soldier's a man
>>> O, man's life's but a span;
>>> Why, then, let a soldier drink.                                 --
>>> (Shakespeare, Othello)
>>>
>>> Yah, OK, he didn't invent the metrical pattern or the rhyme scheme.
>>> But still -- The Limerick As We Know It?
>>>
>>> He also didn't name it. Name first attested 1896, several years after
>>> Lear's death.
>>> Origin of name -- Crystal has a story, can't be arsed repeating it.
>>> May check with OED.
>>>
>
>
>
>
>   what's the story?
>
>
>
>                       i don't know that expression. ...
>                     [can't be arsed repeating it] -- is that NZ English?
>
>
>
> Yes, "can't be arsed repeating it" is a common expression in New Zealand
> English. It's a vulgar slang way of saying "I can't be bothered
> repeating it" or "I'm too lazy to repeat it."
>
> Here's a breakdown:
>
> "Can't be arsed": This is a vulgar slang way of saying "can't be
> bothered." "Arsed" is a vulgar term for "having to do with the buttocks."
>
> Context: This expression is used informally among friends or
> acquaintances. It wouldn't be appropriate in formal settings.
>
>
>
> Here are some ニュージーランド英語 (New Zealand English) alternatives
> with a similar meaning, but less vulgar:
>
>           -- "Can't be bothered repeating it"
>
>           -- "I already said that"
>
>           -- "Look it up yourself" (informal)
>
> While "can't be arsed" is understood in New Zealand, it's important to
> be aware of the informal and potentially offensive nature of the term.

No, William Shakespeare did not invent the limerick. The exact origin
of the limerick is a bit hazy, but here's what we know:

Limerick Timeline: The limerick form likely emerged in the 18th
or early 19th century. Shakespeare lived from 1564 to 1616, making him
much too early for the limerick's invention.