A Conversation for Orange - the Colour

A perfect rhyme?

Post 1

Recumbentman

To many people, the trade name Haliborange does not qualify as a rhyme for orange, any more than 'fruit tree' rhymes with 'tree'. Simply repeating the word is cheating in most people's books. Haliborange combines elements of halibut and orange, both in name and chemistry.

The French went in (maybe they still do) for homophone rhymes, called 'rimes riches', where the whole word rhymes, as in hear/here and scene/seen. These gave me the shivers when I saw them first, and they still do. In a limerick-writing site such as OEDILF http://www.oedilf.com such rhymes are strictly prohibited.

Ogden Nash mentioned the sad fact:

"There are no rhymes for orange or silver,
Unless liberties you pilfer."


A perfect rhyme?

Post 2

Recumbentman

Incidentally the search for Ogden Nash's example brought me to a fascinating universe I was unaware of:

http://tvtropes.org/

I could spend my entire retirement there.


A perfect rhyme?

Post 3

Gnomon - time to move on

I'm aware of TV Tropes.


A perfect rhyme?

Post 4

Gnomon - time to move on

I would say "haliborange" is not just repeating "orange".

It ends with "borange" which is a valid rhyme for "orange".


A perfect rhyme?

Post 5

Recumbentman

Oh no it doesn't!


A perfect rhyme?

Post 6

Recumbentman

In Oedilf we would say that is not only a homophone but a =shudder= homonym as well.


A perfect rhyme?

Post 7

Gnomon - time to move on

Would you consider that urge and purge rhyme?


A perfect rhyme?

Post 8

Recumbentman

Not the same case.

I would accept may and dismay as a good rhyme but I would not accept please and displease. Haliborange is in the same category as displease.


A perfect rhyme?

Post 9

Recumbentman

I'm sure plenty of Oedilfers would refuse may/dismay...


A perfect rhyme?

Post 10

Gnomon - time to move on

I think a rhyme is based on the last stressed syllable and any unstressed syllables after it. The sounds of these should match exactly except for the initial consonant(s) which should be different.

To me, the last stressed syllable of dismay is may so it is not a valid rhyme for may.

On the other hand, the last stressed syllable of haliborange is "bor" which is different from the "or" of orange.

smiley - smiley


A perfect rhyme?

Post 11

Recumbentman

This is a difference in attitude that comes up now and again. It's also relevant to placing lyrics in printed music: where do you break the word with a hyphen?

Some go by sound without reference to meaning, others go by etymology. The first attitude is more prevalent now, since choirs are reminded not to put the consonant at the end of a syllable but at the beginning of the next.

I would write com-ing but some might put co-ming.

I would definitely write Ha-lib-o-range. YMMV.


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