Tiny hamster. Strong opinions.
New in Merriam-Webster
cake pop
\ ˈkāk-ˌpäp \
noun
A bite-size ball of cake and frosting on a stick, dipped in a candy coating.
So what rhymes with it?
rhymehamster.com
Rhymes in the wild
“Lose Yourself”
Eminem, Jeff Bass and Luis Resto · 8 Mile · 2002
The rap song that won an Oscar. Listen to how it rhymes.
rhymehamster.com
Myth or fact?
“Only five words in English have no perfect rhyme: orange, silver, month, pint and ninth.”
Well?
rhymehamster.com
Rhymes in the Wild
Rhymes in the wild
“Lose Yourself”
Eminem, Jeff Bass and Luis Resto · 8 Mile · 2002
The rap song that won an Oscar. Listen to how it rhymes.
rhymehamster.com
“Lose Yourself”
His palms are sweaty
Knees weak, arms are heavy
There’s vomit on his sweater already
Mom’s spaghetti
He looks calm and ready
To drop bombs, but he keeps on forgetting
What he wrote down
The whole crowd goes so loud
He opens his mouth
But the words won’t come out
Written by Eminem, Jeff Bass and Luis Resto.
rhymehamster.com
Wait, do these words actually rhyme?
They’re not perfect rhymes. They’re slant rhymes (also called near or false rhymes).
Everything after the beat matches.
Same vowel. Different consonant.
Same vowel. Different ending.
Rare in theatre, where every word has to land on a first listen.
All over the radio.
All over the radio.
rhymehamster.com
Why it works
The rhyme engine: rhymes in clusters, not just at the ends of lines. The same vowel sounds stack up two and three to a line, so the verse keeps accelerating.
The secret: many of them aren’t perfect rhymes. They’re near rhymes, chosen for sound and speed. That’s a choice, not a shortcut.
rhymehamster.com
Myth or fact?
“Marry, merry and Mary all sound the same.”
Well?
rhymehamster.com
New in Merriam-Webster
cold brew
\ ˈkōld-ˈbrü \
noun
Coffee steeped in cold water for hours. Smoother, stronger and somehow pricier.
So what rhymes with it?
rhymehamster.com
Rhymes in the wild
“50 Ways to Leave Your Lover”
Paul Simon · 1975
The chorus started as a rhyming game with a three-year-old.
rhymehamster.com
New in Merriam-Webster
cuff·ing sea·son
\ ˈkə-fiŋ-ˌsē-zᵊn \
noun
The chilly months when single people suddenly want someone to hunker down with.
So what rhymes with it?
rhymehamster.com
Rhymes in the wild
“Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off”
George and Ira Gershwin · 1937
Shall We Dance
Shall We Dance
A song where the rhymes only work if two people disagree.
rhymehamster.com
Myth or fact?
“Social rhymes with antisocial.”
Well?
rhymehamster.com
The Hamster Papers
Longer reads from a very short desk.
The State of Rhyme
What Rhymes With Your Name?
Tokyo, Meet Pinocchio