"THAT THAT THAT THAT”

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 16 April 1932, Page 2

"THAT THAT THAT THAT”

The possibility of repeating the word “that” (whether as a pronoun, an adjective, a. conjunction, etc) several Imics 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 1 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; 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 1 said ' Because C says you said you never did say what I said you said. Now, if you did say what you did not say what I said you said, then what did you say”