[Douglas G. Brown]

The favorite lines from Chaucer I recall from high school goes;

.......................................Oh cursed belly,
Stinking sack of filth where dung abounds,
From either end of you come forth foul sounds.

Though this was in modernized spelling, or 45 years has clouded my memory, or a little of both.

Anyway, it annoys my chums who are dieting.

[Erik Olson]

Impressive, Douglas. I wish I pulled this from memory but here is the same passage I think of Chaucer from google, or rather the paragraph in which it's found. The Pardoner's Tale (529-548). It might be helpful to quell the appetite.

Heere bigynneth the Pardoners Tale...

The apostle weeping says full piteously,
"There walk many of whom I have told you --
I say it now weeping, with piteous voice --
They are enemies of Christ's cross,
O gut! O belly! O stinking bag,
Filled with dung and with corruption!
At either end of thee the sound is foul.
How great labor and cost it is to feed thee!
These cooks, how they pound, and strain, and grind,
And turn substance into outward appearance
To fulfill all thy gluttonous desire!
Out of the hard bones they knock
The marrow, for they throw nothing away
That may go through the gullet softly and sweetly.
Of seasonings of leaf, and bark, and root
Shall his sauce be made for delight,
To make him yet a newer appetite.
But, certainly, he who habitually seeks such delicacies
Is dead, while he lives in those vices.

[RCL]

Ann, thanks for reading. I'm not sure about how a three syllable synonym for cunt would be used, the "trick" you suggest I'm missing. The Online Etymological Dictionary area listed this, nature's tufted treasure, in a long list of one or two syllable options.

[Erik Olson]

An Idle Dream

Fantastic dream! Think massive guns' death-toll
Could usher in life-saving gun control?
No gun control can pass until a day
The NRA gives congress the OK.


http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-35261394

[Jerome Betts]

As round the Hall of Fame I daily wander,
O shades of PMs past, you too are there
With legacies displayed for all to ponder -
Pitt, Peel, and Gladstone, Lloyd-George, Blair,
Disraeli, Thatcher, Attlee, Baldwin, Brown
The bright, the dim, the strong or puny’uns -
But none so dire as Cameron, the clown
Who gambled, lost, and wrecked two unions.

[Brian Allgar]

Sadly well put, Jerome.

Line 6 seems to have two syllables too many, or line 8 two too few.

[Jerome Betts]

Thanks, Brian. Line 6 tweaked..

[Brian Allgar]

The lament of the voter

Oh, silly me – I went and voted ‘Leave’,
Because I felt quite sure ‘Remain’ would win.
But if I’d known they’d lose, I do believe
I would have sanely voted to stay in.

So if we get another chance to choose,
Of course I’ll vote ‘Remain’ … But hang about -
If I do that, and next time ‘Leave’ should lose,
Perhaps I’ll wish I’d voted to get out?

[Jerome Betts]

Nice one, Brian. Leave - believe? But if I'd known what Outers would achieve? Hope the eye is better.

[Jayne Osborn]

I agree with everything I've seen Brian post, regarding recent events, and The lament of the voter just sums up the gross stupidity of some of the voters on the EU referendum. (I can easily forgive leave and believe under the circumstances.)

If you can bear it, watch this clip of an aforementioned stupid voter. She can't even say ''referendum'', for pity's sake!
Jeez! I sincerely hope this young lady decides not to have children. (Don't call me on the lack of political correctness; I'm unrepentant. )