Political palindromes, H - J

 

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VERS FRANÇAIS: Verses about SAVOIR-FAIRE

 
PARODY COMPOSED: Giorgio Coniglio (registered pseudonym) and Dr. GH, December 2018. Today's verses have been web-published at OEDILF.com, an online humour dictionary that has accumulated 102,000 carefully edited limericks. 

SONGLINK: For those readers who like poetry set to music:  On our sister blog "SILLY SONGS and SATIRE", you can find various singable versions of limerick medleys, including a collection of verses about French set to a novel tune. 

By the way, to find more limericks, or any other search target on either of these 2 blogs, use the SEARCH-FUNCTION found at the top of the right-hand margin.

Authors' Note: The present participle (participe présent) is used much less commonly in French compared to English. In contrast, infinitives are used more often, so 'knowing and doing' is described by savoir-faire, whereas sachant-faisant seems à rire (laughable).

All the French verbs mentioned here, as well as avoir, to have, are irregular, so their roots undergo weird transformations in some circumstances. Savant, an archaic form derived from savoir, is still in use as a noun for 'someone who knows' (a prodigy).

Authors' Note:

 à propos: in regard

outré: inappropriately eccentric in behaviour or appearance, or exceeding the limits of propriety

sans doute (sahn DOOT): certainly, without doubt

paraph (PA-ruhf): confirmatory mark after a signature, derived more remotely from the French term paraphe

nonpareil: a paragon, one who has no equal

Although the word nonpareil has been used in English, often pronounced as non-pah-REHL, since the 16th century, one must adopt the snobbier French pronunciation (non-pah-RAY) for the verse to rhyme.

Despite its status as a longstanding valuable English descriptor, unique retains a Gallic sound, which is frankly ... unique.

Authors' Note: 

au verso (oh vehr-SOH): French for 'on the reverse side'

Bilingual labelling can produce startling results. In Canada, pomegranates and their juice must be imported. But, in French-speaking parts of the country, we would refer to them as grenades, the modern French term for the fruit. In the circumstance under discussion, the particular juice-box was labelled on its French side as grenade.

An archaic term, pomegranate derives from the Middle Ages, but seems to have gotten stuck in English as a sort of borrowed anachronism.

Authors' Note: 

corniches (cohr-NEESH): French shortened expression for  routes en corniche, "roads on the ledge" that epitomize the spectacular views along the Côte d'Azur (French Riviera)

roué: (roo-AY, or anglicized, as here, ROO-ay): French for an elderly debauched man, derived from the outdated meaning of "broken on the wheel“, 

(la roue being French for "wheel").

Authors' Note: 

au verso (oh vehr-soh): French for 'on the reverse side'

Bilingual labelling, if you pay attention to it, can produce some startling results. In Canada, pomegranates and their juice must be imported. But, in French-speaking parts of the country, we would refer to them as grenades, the modern French term for the fruit. In the circumstance under discussion, the particular juice-box was labelled on its French side as (jus de) grenade.

An archaic term for the tree and for the fruit, pomegranate derives from the Middle Ages, but seems to have gotten stuck in English as a sort of borrowed anachronism. On the other hand, we have grenadine syrup, a cocktail additive, putatively made from pomegranate juice, but in fact, often concocted from synthetic ingredients.

 

                                           

 (Note that the three verses of this "brief saga" can be found in more readily legible format on the blog "Daily Illustrated Nonsense"; click HERE.)                                                                                                                                                

                                                                                                        

 

 (Note that the three verses of this "brief saga" can be found in more readily legible format on the blog "Daily Illustrated Nonsense"; click HERE.) 

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As of July 20, 2025, there are 2,000 unique entries available on the daily blog, displaying individual poems (often illustrated) and wordplay, but also with some photo-collages and parody song-lyrics. 

Most of the key elements, such as this one, are also assembled here on "Edifying Nonsense" in topic-based collections.

The "Daily" format, a formidable mix of genres, also has the advantage of including song-lyrics, videos and other material that are not shown here on this topic-based blog.

Praising the CHARLESTON GARDEN

SATIRE COMPOSED: Giorgio Coniglio (registered pseudonym) and Dr. GH, 2018. Today's offering has been inspired by Mother Nature's wonderful displays, aided by ingenious garden designers who took advantage of the favorable climate in coastal South Carolina. The author has had the good fortune to be able to serve as a docent for the March 'Glorious Garden' Tours organized by the Historic Charleston Society.
Today's verses have all been through the extensive editing process at the cooperative poetry and humor site OEDILF.com (the Omnificent English Dictionary in Limerick Form). The illustrating photographs, unless otherwise indicated, were obtained on GC's iphone 7, and processed using Powerpoint software.

You may like to look at the enlarged illustrations. Click on any slide to get into the enlarged photos, navigate about via the thumbnails at the bottom, and then exit by clicking the little 'x' at the upper right!

CURRENT CONTENTS

Charleston garden

Garden-tour docents

Indica azaleas

Tractor-seat plant

Creeping fig

Japanese yew

Gazebo 

The above verses conjure up visions of tranquility, beauty, wonderment and pride as a part of gardening. The reader is warned however that more negative emotions such as dismay, victimization, and revenge may derive from forces, random, natural, man-made and sometimes self-inflicted, that detract from our attempts to surround ourselves with 'natural beauty'. That said, you can read about these more negative aspects on the post 'Naughtiness in the landscape: Garden Intruders'. Click HERE !  

GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR WEB-EXPLORERS: 

To resume your review of the sequence of daily titillations on our related blog "Daily Illustrated Nonsense", click HERE. Once you arrive, you can select your time frame of interest from the calendar-based listings at the bottom of the page, and check the daily offerings for any month from the start of 2020 until July 2025. 

As of July 20, 2025, there are 2,000 unique entries available on the daily blog, displaying individual poems (often illustrated) and wordplay, but also with some photo-collages and parody song-lyrics. 

Most of the key elements, such as this one, are also assembled here on "Edifying Nonsense" in topic-based collections.

The "Daily" format, a formidable mix of genres, also has the advantage of including song-lyrics, videos and other material that are not shown here on this topic-based blog.

PATIENTS and their MALADIES, part #1

 

Coaster for a medical school reunion,
University of Toronto.

SATIRE COMPOSED: Dr.G.H. and Giorgio Coniglio, September 2018 (original posting February 2019). This group of terse verses has also been published at OEDILF.com.  

CURRENT CONTENTS

Amblyopia

BPH (benign prostatic hypertrophy)

Brain symptoms (post-concussion)

Common cold

Conn's syndrome (aldosterone excess) 

Claudication

(for continuation, see the link below)

Authors' Note: 

pas-de-deux: a term, originating in French, for a balletic performance with two dancers, often moving in unison

Amblyopia includes a number of conditions in which the single affected eye provides less useful information to the brain, resulting in suppression of that information in comparison to that from the more normal eye. Double vision or strabismus (crossed-eyes) from weakened eye muscles on the one side is a common cause. When strabismus is relatively minor, the persistence of two discordant images under certain conditions with resulting double vision, may be disconcerting to the adult patient. Reduced lighting, head position and fatigue may enhance the problem, but corrective prismatic lenses may help in reachieving integrated binocular vision.

Authors' Notes: 

-trophy: a Greek suffix, as in hypertrophy, atrophy or dystrophy, derived from trophe (nourishment)

trophy: a decorated cup or other prize, from the Greek root tropaion, a rout or victory.

  The author has had first-hand experience of these unpleasant symptoms. In fact, despite the comment in the verse, having BPH does not eliminate the chance of also having cancer. Consult your physician; they will likely do tests to ensure that cancer is not also present.

Authors' Note:  In American football, 'rushing' means running the ball after starting behind the line of scrimmage, not including forward passes. The play continues until the player carrying the ball, usually a backfielder, is tackled.

Concussion, as a medical term describing brain trauma, is discussed by SheilaB here. The above verse deals primarily with the delayed effects of multiple brain concussive injuries. See also chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE.

Authors' Note: Reducing interpersonal contact still provides the best defence against the common cold (coryza). 

Authors' Note:  High blood pressure (hypertension), most commonly has no definable cause. Rarely, there is a relatively fixed and excessive production of aldosterone, a hormone produced by the cortex of the adrenal glands to regulate the exchange of sodium and potassium in the kidney. The medical entity was known historically as Conn's syndrome. The abnormal hormone levels are due to an overgrowth of well-differentiated adrenal cells, resulting in either a small localized benign tumor, or to diffuse overgrowth of both glands.

The levels of blood pressure attained are relatively mild, and the local disorder of growth in the adrenal glands does not develop malignant transformation. Nonetheless, the disorder is best treated specifically, sometimes requiring adrenal surgery.

Authors' Note:

claudicant: limping, lame

 Pain occurring in one or both legs with exercise in patients with blockages in their leg arteries is termed 'intermittent claudication', a condition particularly prevalent in longterm smokers. 

 Discarded cigarette butts, which may release toxins injurious to wildlife, have been identified by environmentalists as an ecological hazard. 

Requests from many health professionals and layfolks as well have come to fruition; there are now two followup posts continuing this theme that you can easily access. Click HERE for part #2. 

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To resume your review of the sequence of daily titillations on our related blog "Daily Illustrated Nonsense", click HERE. Once you arrive, you can select your time frame of interest from the calendar-based listings at the bottom of the page, and check the daily offerings for any month from the start of 2020 until July 2025. 

As of July 20, 2025, there are 2,000 unique entries available on the daily blog, displaying individual poems (often illustrated) and wordplay, but also with some photo-collages and parody song-lyrics. 

Most of the key elements, such as this one, are also assembled here on "Edifying Nonsense" in topic-based collections.

The "Daily" format, a formidable mix of genres, also has the advantage of including song-lyrics, videos and other material that are not shown here on this topic-based blog.