"THAT THAT THAT THAT."

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 263, 5 November 1932, Page 13 (Supplement)

"THAT THAT THAT THAT."

The possibility of repeating tlje,-word "that" (whether as a pronoun, an adjective, a conjunction, etc.) several times consecutively in one sentence "was discussed by a number of school; teachers, one of whom produced the following rhyme: — I'll prove the word that I have made my theme Is that that may be doubled without blame; And that that that thus trebled I may use And that that that that critics may abuse May be correct. Further, the Dons to bother, Five thats may closely follow one another; For be it known that we may safely write Or say, that that that that that man writ was right; Nay, e'en that that that that that that followed Through six repeats the grammar's rule has hallowed, And that that that (that that that that began) Repeated seven times is right; deny it • who can. Another contributed this:— "In thirty-one words fourteen 'thats' can be grammatically inserted. He said that that that that man said was not that that that one should say; f but that that that that man said was that that that man might say. That reminds us of the following 'says' and 'saids': Mr. B, did you say, or did you not say, what I said? Because C says you said you never did say what I said you said. Now, if you did say that you did not say what I said you said, then what did you say 1"