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THAT THAT

THAT THAT

THAT THAT

(OP)
Pathetic really, THAT reading something THAT refers to something THAT is used too many times. Worst case is THAT THAT.
Am I THAT alone in thinking THAT THAT makes written prose clumsy but is something THAT just has to be accepted?

RE: THAT THAT

I agree that "...that that..." is awkward, and I try to avoid using it whenever possible.  Another one I avoid is "...is is...".

RE: THAT THAT

I think that that that that you don't like is still better than that which which many people incorrectly use instead...

RE: THAT THAT

blah!  that was hard to read.

RE: THAT THAT

Which which is used incorrectly?  A quick sanity check on the web confirms that that that that is used as a pronoun rather than an article can introduce only restrictive relative clauses, while that which which is used as a pronoun rather than a question word can be used for both restrictive and nonrestrictive.  Therefore, it is that that is more likely to be misused, whereas which, which has the broader application of the two, is the safer choice, no?

Hg

p.s. It really bugs me not to put quotes or italics in the above, but it would ruin the aesthetics.

RE: THAT THAT

I have actually heard and read "athletics" used instead of "aesthetics" ... in engineering!! uugh

RE: THAT THAT

I like the double do -

"Engineering is one thing that I do do well..."

Larry

RE: THAT THAT

Brings to mind the now famous quote, "what the meaning of the word is is".

RE: THAT THAT

I had had a thought about replying to this...

corus

RE: THAT THAT

Two schoolboys were discussing their english grammar homework. Smith, where Jones had had "had", had had "had had". "had had" had had the approval of the teacher.

M

--
Dr Michael F Platten

RE: THAT THAT


I know of a well known poet, Galway Kinnell (well, well-known as poets go) who, wrote, whimsically, I hope, something to the effect of:  "those who do do do-do do so at their own risk..."

RE: THAT THAT

That's under the same philosophy as
"Those who fart in church deserve to sit in their own pew."

--Scott

For some pleasure reading, try FAQ731-376

RE: THAT THAT

(OP)
Gentlemen, THAT'S off topic.

RE: THAT THAT


Yes, rnd2, you're right - that was off-topic.

Given that "red-flagging" others' posts is something that I do do on this website, I promise of my own postings that that won't happen again.

RE: THAT THAT

This makes me think of that old monologue Merlin did in T. H. White's Once and Future King.

Quote:

Which would be heartily confusing if Sir so-and-so were to do it. "What what-what, what?"

The urge to save humanity is almost always only a false-face for the urge to rule it. -- H.L. Mencken

RE: THAT THAT

And one of the goofier examples I can remember from linguistics:

Dogs dogs dog dog dogs dogs dog.  

It's not quite as contrived as "Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo," but it's still rather a reach away from ordinary spoken English.  (Hint:  both "dog" and "buffalo" can be verbs.)

Hg

RE: THAT THAT

from HgTX: "And one of the goofier examples I can remember from linguistics:

'Dogs dogs dog dog dogs dogs dog.'"


It just goes to prove, once and for all, that Goofy IS a dog.  (Just in case anyone was still in doubt.)

RE: THAT THAT

More than just a passing resemblance to Pluto?

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