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Fox

Joined: 04 Mar 2009
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Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 11:04 pm Post subject: I punctuated this correctly. Can you? |
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Consider the following, punctuation-free sentence:
James while John had had had had had had had had had had had a better effect on the teacher
There is a way to punctuate this such that it makes at least a modicum of sense. I found it mildly amusing; anyone else care to give it a try? While I only stumbled across this for the first time today, it's evidently a fairly famous exercise, so others likely have heard of it before. |
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hockeyguy109
Joined: 22 Dec 2008 Location: Daegu
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Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 11:35 pm Post subject: Re: I punctuated this correctly. Can you? |
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| Fox wrote: |
Consider the following, punctuation-free sentence:
James while John had had had had had had had had had had had a better effect on the teacher
There is a way to punctuate this such that it makes at least a modicum of sense. I found it mildly amusing; anyone else care to give it a try? While I only stumbled across this for the first time today, it's evidently a fairly famous exercise, so others likely have heard of it before. |
No, please show us. |
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edwardcatflap
Joined: 22 Mar 2009
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Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 12:20 am Post subject: |
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| James, while John had had 'had', had had 'had had'. 'Had had' had had a better effect on the teacher |
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Bloopity Bloop

Joined: 26 Apr 2009 Location: Seoul yo
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Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 12:34 am Post subject: |
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| edwardcatflap wrote: |
| James, while John had had 'had', had had 'had had'. 'Had had' had had a better effect on the teacher |
Bravo. |
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Fox

Joined: 04 Mar 2009
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Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 12:39 am Post subject: |
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| Bloopity Bloop wrote: |
| edwardcatflap wrote: |
| James, while John had had 'had', had had 'had had'. 'Had had' had had a better effect on the teacher |
Bravo. |
Yes, well done. Any other little language puzzles anyone knows of would be a welcome addition too. |
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flakfizer

Joined: 12 Nov 2004 Location: scaling the Cliffs of Insanity with a frayed rope.
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Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 12:55 am Post subject: Re: I punctuated this correctly. Can you? |
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| Fox wrote: |
Consider the following, punctuation-free sentence:
James while John had had had had had had had had had had had a better effect on the teacher
There is a way to punctuate this such that it makes at least a modicum of sense. I found it mildly amusing; anyone else care to give it a try? While I only stumbled across this for the first time today, it's evidently a fairly famous exercise, so others likely have heard of it before. |
I gave up as I read your instructions to mean that those words comprised one sentence. "Consider the following, punctuation-free sentence"
In fact, it was not a punctuation-free sentence but a punctuation-free group of words that comprised two sentences. |
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carpetdope
Joined: 13 Oct 2008
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Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 3:13 am Post subject: Re: I punctuated this correctly. Can you? |
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| flakfizer wrote: |
I gave up as I read your instructions to mean that those words comprised one sentence. "Consider the following, punctuation-free sentence"
In fact, it was not a punctuation-free sentence but a punctuation-free group of words that comprised two sentences. |
Oooh burn!
How about this one: Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.
Oh, wait - no extra punctuation needed. |
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Oreovictim
Joined: 23 Aug 2006
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Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 4:09 am Post subject: |
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When I was back in college, one of my professors wrote something like this on the board. I told him that he should write "Had 101" on the board. Then he should leave the door open, and mess with everyone who walks by. All of us could start saying.
Professor: Had, had, had, had, had!
Student 1: Had, had, had?
Students 2 + 3: Had, had, had, had!
Professor: Had!
Well, you get it. Er . . . maybe you don't. |
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themagicbean
Joined: 04 Feb 2009
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Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 4:20 am Post subject: |
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-1 to all of us, including myself, for reading this thread
I never thought I'd see something that made the "dating" threads look intelligent but this has. |
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edwardcatflap
Joined: 22 Mar 2009
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Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 4:23 am Post subject: |
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A sign writer has finished a sign for a pub called the 'Dog and Duck' but the owner isn't satisfied with the layout and says the following
'The spaces between Dog and and and and and Duck are too big' |
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aboxofchocolates

Joined: 21 Mar 2008 Location: on your mind
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Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 10:29 am Post subject: |
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| James, while Josh had had Had, Had had had Had; Had had had a better effect on the teacher. |
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rocket_scientist
Joined: 23 Nov 2009 Location: Prague
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Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 12:35 pm Post subject: |
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| If I turned in a sentence like that to my English teacher or boss, I'd get F'd. |
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aboxofchocolates

Joined: 21 Mar 2008 Location: on your mind
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Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 4:07 pm Post subject: |
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| rocket_scientist wrote: |
| If I turned in a sentence like that to my English teacher or boss, I'd get F'd. |
So, it would seem, would Had. |
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Fox

Joined: 04 Mar 2009
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Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 4:59 pm Post subject: Re: I punctuated this correctly. Can you? |
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| flakfizer wrote: |
| Fox wrote: |
Consider the following, punctuation-free sentence:
James while John had had had had had had had had had had had a better effect on the teacher
There is a way to punctuate this such that it makes at least a modicum of sense. I found it mildly amusing; anyone else care to give it a try? While I only stumbled across this for the first time today, it's evidently a fairly famous exercise, so others likely have heard of it before. |
I gave up as I read your instructions to mean that those words comprised one sentence. "Consider the following, punctuation-free sentence"
In fact, it was not a punctuation-free sentence but a punctuation-free group of words that comprised two sentences. |
No, it can be made into a single sentence. I didn't object to edwardcatflap's puncutation because I didn't want to seem pedantic, but his usage of a period should have instead been a semi-colon:
James, while John had had "had", had had "had had"; "had had" had had a better effect on the teacher. |
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Fox

Joined: 04 Mar 2009
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Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 5:02 pm Post subject: |
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| aboxofchocolates wrote: |
| James, while Josh had had Had, Had had had Had; Had had had a better effect on the teacher. |
That's interesting, I hadn't thought of the possibility of turning some of the "hads" into nouns. I guess in such a scenario, the question becomes in what sense had Josh had Had. |
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