• disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
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    4 days ago

    The landlord of a pub called The Pig And Whistle asked a sign writer to make a new sign. When he saw it he thought that the words were too close together, so he said to the sign writer “I want more space between Pig and And and And and Whistle”.

    • BluesF@lemmy.world
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      5 days ago

      Inspired by the story, another landlord decides to name their pub “Pig and And and And and Whistle.” Lo and behold, the sign was cramped… Ther needed more space between Pig and and and and and And and And and and and and and And and And and and and and and Whistle.

              • UmeU@lemmy.world
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                4 days ago

                I don’t believe that’s accurate.

                There are only two things in the list, pig & whistle.

                They want more space between pig and &.

                They also want more space between & and whistle.

                If we were listing three areas where they want additional space we would need at least one comma, and I would argue for the Oxford comma as well, however we are only listing two areas where we want more space and so no comma is needed.

                Sure it’s nearly unreadable, but I think the punctuation is correct.

                • finitebanjo@lemmy.world
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                  4 days ago

                  If the same and is referred to twice then it should be a separate sentence clause requiring use of a comma. Since there is no comma there is no indication the and is the same both times.

                  Imagine saying “It was just me and dave and dave went driving” instead of “It was just me and dave, and dave went driving.” Yeah, maybe its the same dave, possibly readable, but its wrong.

                  • UmeU@lemmy.world
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                    4 days ago

                    Because your example sentence uses the word ‘went’ rather than ‘was’, you need a comma because those are two separate I dependent clauses.

                    You and Dave were together and then Dave leaves you and goes driving by himself… me and Dave, then Dave went.

                    If you used ‘was’ then those would not be independent clauses and therefore a comma would not be used. It was me and Dave and Dave was driving.

                    Edit: also, why the downvote, we are having a conversation here ??

            • finitebanjo@lemmy.world
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              4 days ago

              Ah see this one makes more sense but since it is a single sentence clause two of them are still redundant.

          • can@sh.itjust.works
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            4 days ago

            It is indeed a very convoluted way of making the requests. I would say more space between each word.

      • Signtist@lemm.ee
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        5 days ago

        Nah, it’s referring to the first space by grouping the first and second words, “Pig” and “And,” and then referring to the second space by grouping the second and third words, “And” and “Whistle.”

          • can@sh.itjust.works
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            5 days ago

            “The Pig And Whistle” asked a sign writer to make a new sign.

            I want more space between “Pig” and “And”

            and

            [more space between] “And” and “Whistle”

            • finitebanjo@lemmy.world
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              5 days ago

              Ovahea’s comment as I copy and paste is

              Pig and And and And and Whistle”.

              So if you remove the bonus ands, it becmes “Pig And And Whistle”.

              • can@sh.itjust.works
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                5 days ago

                But as someone else pointed out it’s the same “and”. The sign has three words on it. Between the words are spaces. How many spaces are there? What on either edge of each space?

                • finitebanjo@lemmy.world
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                  5 days ago

                  Okay I concede that it works, albeit it requires a comma, but it also works without the redundant ands