Dear Abby: I am having a difference of opinion with a person who is never wrong - if you get my drift.
Exactly what is a limerick? And when was it introduced into the English language?- Enjoys Limericks in Boston
Dear Enjoys: A limerick is a form of humorous verse. It takes its name from the city of Limerick in Ireland, where it originated.
A limerick consists of five lines. The first and second lines rhyme with the fifth line. The third and fourth lines rhyme with each other.
The first line often begins with, "There once was a . . . " etc., and ends with the name of a person or place.
The last line is what we would call the punch line. It is usually humorous and occasionally naughty.
In 1846, Edward Lear (no relation to Norman) came out with a book titled "A Book of Nonsense," which was a collection of limericks. Here's one:
"There once was a lady from Wilts
"Who walked up to Scotland on stilts;
"When they said it was shocking
"To show so much stocking,
"She answered, `Then what about kilts?' "
Dear Abby: Either there are two Jack Dempseys, or the lady from Monroe, Mich., is confused.
Jack Dempsey was not in the U.S. Navy - he was in the U.S. Coast Guard. I took my training from him in Manhattan Beach, N.Y.
Jack Dempsey came to visit me during my nine-month stay at the Veterans Hospital here in Minneapolis.
Abby, please set the record straight.
- Virgil E. Hanson,
St. Louis Park, Minn.
Dear Virgil E. Hanson: Thank you. Please consider the record set straight.
Dear Abby: I have long been an admirer of yours and would like to share something I learned the hard way.
People are often told to "get a second opinion" when their doctor prescribes treatment (or surgery) that seems drastic. They should be aware of the "side effects" from taking such advice.
From personal experience, I know that anything from a cold reception to refusal to continue as your attending physician can result.
I asked for a second opinion recently, and had to have my attorney get my medical records. Needless to say, I changed physicians.
- One Who Knows in Arizona
Dear One Who Knows: I would be a bit leery of a physician who would resent my requesting a second opinion.
Top-notch physicians welcome second opinions - if only to confirm their diagnosis.
Dear Abby: As a middle-aged single adult male, I finally said, "No, thank you" to eating at the card table with the children at family gatherings and sleeping on the sofa during overnight visits.
Abby, in this couples-oriented society, please remind your readers that adult singles are adults, and deserve to be treated with the same respect as their married counterparts.
- Missouri Single
Dear Single: I'm with you. In the 39 years I've been writing this column, this is a first.
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