Poor Forum Etiquite

[Argyle]

A limerick you write, I may fail

Amongst you wordsmiths, I flail

The river is high

The carp they will fly

In a few weeks I launch Argyle and Sail

[Bob White]

the skipper was full of dismay

his boat was not yet under weigh

the mast it was lifted

his crew surely gifted

but from water he was way faraway

 

[Gold Winger]

I know that you're a Sea Scout guy but in the Navy it's "underway." "Under weigh" is a common mistake that many (including CS Forester) have made over the centuries because one "weighs anchor" so they think that we should get "under weigh" but but the origins of the words are different.

 

Weighing anchor has to do with raising the anchor, just as one used to raise something up to get it's weight (to weigh).

 

However, "underway" is a corruption of the Dutch "onderweg" meaning "on the way."

 

 

 

[Zahnada]

There once was a scouter Gold Winger,

Who outstretched his nagging finger.

But I'm sorry, my mate,

Words don't carry weight,

Unless written as a limerical zinger.

 

See, doesn't this make arguing fun?

Shouldn't this be how all forums are run?

Once posters grow weary,

Of this lyrical fury,

They will ditch the 'net for some sun.

[Bob White]

The term I believe is called "poetic license". Under weigh is indeed an oft used nautical term of old. Yes, it is a corruption of underway but it has been used before in nautical writing as you have already verified for us.

 

Since the limerick was of a nautical nature I took license to use this old nautitical version of the phrase.

 

I am confident that its use was not in violation of any known poetic rule or policy, while staying within the fixed rules of limerick structure.

 

 

 

 

[Gold Winger]

Nice little dance Bob, doesn't change the fact that the usage is and was incorrect.

 

You could have used the correct term without impacting your little poem in the least but you probably didn't have a clue. Here's two bucks. Go buy a clue along with a sense of humor.

 

There was a Scouter named White

Of the rules he knew he was right

Of life he knew nil

Or less even still

Thank God I don't suffer his plight

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Argyle]

(This message has been edited by Argyle)

[Bob White]

I know that my use of of the word weigh was not done to personally insult or libel anyone.

 

 

 

[emb021]

I'm still waiting for haiku.

[Gold Winger]

However, it offended me and by today's PC standards, an unintentional offense is far worse than an intentional one.

[OldGreyBear]

Haikus are hunted

Rebuffs to be given fast

Or Perhaps half Speed

 

Now Wanted Haiku

Do not have to make much sense

Same as the poster

 

 

[Bob White]

old man lost in fog

rides on a cycle of gold

insults fall like rain

[Gold Winger]

I'm sure that's supposed to be a jibe at me but you've got your "facts" wrong. I'm not old, never been lost in fog, my cycle isn't gold, and they aren't insults if they're true.

 

I know that you'll argue poetic license but that's just a synonym for "just plain wrong but unwilling to admit it."

 

Come on Bob, I'm sure that you can do better than that. You haven't even mentioned training yet.

 

Under poetic license, the above is haiku.

 

 

 

 

 

[Bob White]

Actually hiaku, like limerick, has a set structure, three lines, 5 beats, 7 beats, 5 beats. Traditional haiku includes a reference to the seasons or nature.

 

What you posted is not haiku, nor does it meet any structure of poetry.

 

For effective poetry you need to understand structure. Like Scouting there are some rules you need to know if you are to be successful at your attempt.

 

 

 

 

[Gold Winger]

Nah Bob, you missed the point as usual. Under poetic license, anything can be whatever I want it to be.