Did you know Ildar Abdrazakov has a brother named Askar Abdrazakov who is also on the Met's roster? There seems certain to be a limerick in this.
A second (bass) fiddle named Askar
Being Russian*, liked opera, not Nascar
˘ ˘ ¯˘ ˘ ¯
˘ ˘ ¯˘ ˘ ¯
˘ ˘ ¯˘ ˘ ¯˘ ˘ ¯ ¯
Ideally the last line should not involve references to a song by Tracy Chapman, tempting as it is, since it's not entirely kosher to rhyme "car" and "car" even if the morphology is a little different (car not being truly its own morpheme in Nascar, if you ask me.) References to large islands Southeast of Africa, however, are not only accepted but seemingly right somehow.
(In case you are thinking they did not exactly score big in the name lottery, know that there is an Uzbek name "Dildor" so things could be worse.)
*right, not exactly.
ETA: Here's where we are. Breaking news!
A second (bass) fiddle named Askar
Being Russian*, liked opera, not Nascar
Though his rival fraternal
Made sounds more supernal
(˘) ˘ ¯˘ ˘ ¯˘ ˘ ¯ ¯
ETA: JFMurray wins. Our condolences to him on this dubious honor.
Though his rival fraternal
ReplyDeleteMade sounds more supernal
...
Oh, a brilliant start. I'm afraid the I've rather backed things into a corner as far as the last line is concerned, however.
ReplyDeleteThis brother might wow Madagascar
ReplyDeleteOk, It's kind of dependent on knowing a fairly obscure post-punk song by the Clash. But it does rhyme and scan.
ReplyDelete'A second (bass) fiddle named Askar
Being Russian liked opera not Nascar
He was more Sylvia Sass
Than the Cure or the Clash
For his voice rocked the house not the Casbah.'
It's a tricky thing you've done there, Armer Jacquino, as it depends on the speaker being
ReplyDelete1) from Britain* or tidewater Georgia for the outermost rhyme, and
2) more knowledgeable than the average bear about Hungarian orthology.
*I am profoundly unknowledgeable about British dialects, but it's my impression that in most, a final "r" will be either consistently dropped or consistently added. The speaker could not be from Boston, where the rule is much harder to follow: it is fleeting in some instances and epenthetic in others.
Maury- my nationality was always going to be a problem in this particular (pron: p'ticla) challenge, as Madagascar and Nascar don't rhyme for us.
ReplyDeleteThere may have to be regional heats.
If only we could somehow move Nantucket to a position south-east of Africa...
ReplyDeleteLet me carry it down the field a little, but to do so I am putting it in the present tense:
ReplyDeleteA second (bass) fiddle named Askar
Being Russian, likes opera, not Nascar
Though his rival fraternal
Makes sounds more supernal
.._.._ picturesque are.
I want to say,
As a pair .._ picturesque are.
If only English were freer with its word order one could simply say "At this point you not sorry you ask are?"
ReplyDeleteNow this joke's like a quite-out-of-gas car.
ReplyDeleteA second (bass) fiddle named Askar
ReplyDeleteBeing Russian, likes opera, not Nascar
Though his rival fraternal
Makes sounds more supernal
He nonetheless sets off fans' gaydar.
Unfortunately, a quick Google image search would seem to refute.
A second (bass) fiddle named Askar
ReplyDeleteMakes me sweat as I look at my task bar.
As I try and rhyme "Ildar"
This is sure to bewilder
One who'd rather spend weekends at Nascar.
A second (bass) fiddle named Askar
Being Russian, likes opera, not Nascar.
Though his rival fraternal
Makes sounds more supernal
Either one would have fun at a Basque bar.
A second (bass) fiddle named Askar
Being Russian, likes opera, not Nascar.
The brothers, each fellow,
Could sing Leporello
Or as Don Giovanni, in masque, star.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteBlogger Will said...
ReplyDeleteA second (bass) fiddle named Askar
has a brother, the sonorous Ildar
The Demon's a thing
They'd both like to sing
But not if updated to Qutar
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