I suggest Persnikety Anomymous.

 

Chris,

Thank you so much for speaking out on behalf of the English (or, more precisely, American) language. That example and the confusion between "sheer" and "shear" really set my teeth on edge, too. I've pretty much given up on "it's" and "its" and try to quell my stomach every time I hear "and I" when "and me" would actually be correct, but boatbuilding is my solace from the vicissitudes of daily life, including mangled language, and I appreciate that you have done your bit to preserve my refuge from creeping combingism.

As for hair-dos, there's always wet-suit cap head.

Back to the paint fumes,

Laszlo

 

are you suppose to glass the deck? I didn't do that,but it's not varnish yet so I could still do it.

OK you grammarians out there, punctuate this properly:  I had had had not had had had had had had a better effect with the teacher

I had had "had", not had "had had".

"Had had" had a better effect with the teacher.

The owner of the "Pig and Whistle" pub had a sign made. After seeing it, he told the signmaker, "---------- the pig and and and and and whistle". What did he tell the signmaker (and remember that it's a family forum)?

Laszlo

OK Laszlo, despite your adding an extra "had" in there you got the idea.  The first "had" after the comma in the first sentence is the extra one you inserted.  As for your Pig and Whistle pub sign, I haven't a clue.  Sounds like a good name for a pub though.  bob h.

I'm not so good at grammer, but I can count, and I count nine "hads" in each of your phrases.

Jim

Two nations, divided by a common language.

Wordsmith

Laszlo, I think that the owner of the "Pig and Whistle" told the sign maker that he did not leave the correct spacing between the words the "pig" and "and", and

"and" and "whistle".

Robbo

Robbo,

You've got it, congratulations. I heard that one at least 45 years ago and it was probably old then.

Wordsmith,

Was wondering when you'd weigh in. After all, this seems like the perfect thread for someone who styles himself "Wordsmith". Maybe we ought to expand Winston's observation to apply to Australia,  NZ and Canada, too?I mean, you guys may all have the Queen, but your English all seems different to these ears.

Bob,

Jim's right, there were 9 "had"s in your original puzzle. But wegot the idea.

OK, now it's back to the sanding.

Laszlo

 

Back to sanding, yes!  But perhaps a clarification.  I incorrectly said that Laszlo inserted an extra "had", when in fact he inserted one of the nine in a different place than my solution called for.  For the record, my version went like this:

I had had "had,"  not "had had."  "Had had" had had a better effect on the teacher

Laszlo's version went like this:

I had had "had", not had "had had".

"Had had" had a better effect with the teacher.

Indeed, Both had nine hads in them but yet they are different.  Which do y'all think is more correct?  Sorry for the confusion folks  :-)  Not a very good grammarian here.........best,  bob h.