St. George he was for England

[Quijote]

My son bought it a few years back. I found it mildly amusing but more pedantic than instructive, although I am a mild fanatic (?) about punctuation.

Okay, lose the hyphen in innkeeper - but what's the answer?

Here is another one to keep you going. Make sense of the following by inserting punctuation:

"Philip, while Michael had had had had had had had had had the examiner's approval."


(In both puzzles there is a slight background scenario.)

Don't Google - or admit it if you do!

"Philip, while Michael had had "had had had", "had had" had had the examiner's approval."
That's my best shot, I'm afraid. If it's wrong, I admit defeat.

[Bonn1827]

Derr; forgot "Dragon" - of course!! If my accountant hadn't phoned me this would not have gone un-noticed. I don't know anything about this myth, but I'll have another go:

The inn-keeper pointed out that the distance between George and, and...and....and...and, Dragon was not equal!!!!

Haven't a clue about the second one. It's 2.47am!!

[Michael]

I could have used this when teaching Year 12 Advanced English - who had indifferent punctuation, to say the least. I'll have a go:

The inn-keeper pointed out that the distance between George and and, and and and and, was not equal.

Sorry, Sue, it doesn't make sense and you left out Dragon. but you are on the right track.

You have to imagine a situation in which the sentence would arise before it makes sense.

Here is one that requires no background story. Just read exactly what you see and make sense of it:

If the B m t put:
If the B. putting:

(One clue: if I were writing the above instead of typing it, I would make the B twice as large)
Resist the temptation to Google.

[Michael]

Michael, have you been reading "Eats, shoots and leaves" (*) by any chance?
(*) Unfortunate punctuation in defining some animal's normal diet.

My son bought it a few years back. I found it mildly amusing but more pedantic than instructive, although I am a mild fanatic (?) about punctuation.

Okay, lose the hyphen in innkeeper - but what's the answer?

Here is another one to keep you going. Make sense of the following by inserting punctuation:

"Philip, while Michael had had had had had had had had had the examiner's approval."


(In both puzzles there is a slight background scenario.)

Don't Google - or admit it if you do!

[Quijote]

You have reminded me of a little puzzle, Megan.
By inserting punctuation marks, can anybody make sense of the following sentence:

The inn-keeper pointed out that the distance between George and and and and and Dragon was not equal.

Pedant that I am, I see in the Robert & Collins English-French dictionary that innkeeper is spelt without hyphen. Robert or his chum Collins (no apostrophe) could be wrong, I suppose.

[Quijote]

You have reminded me of a little puzzle, Megan.
By inserting punctuation marks, can anybody make sense of the following sentence:

The inn-keeper pointed out that the distance between George and and and and and Dragon was not equal.

Michael, have you been reading "Eats, shoots and leaves" (*) by any chance?
(*) Unfortunate punctuation in defining some animal's normal diet.

[Quijote]

Enlighten us, oh great one!

I will try. Oh yes, I shall certainly try. Are you one of those "dragons" I referred to above? Excuse me while I go and get my specially sharpened monster-slaying axe (the one I use when cooking, mainly for the garlic). Hah!

[Bonn1827]

I could have used this when teaching Year 12 Advanced English - who had indifferent punctuation, to say the least. I'll have a go:

The inn-keeper pointed out that the distance between George and and, and and and and, was not equal.

[Michael]

You have reminded me of a little puzzle, Megan.
By inserting punctuation marks, can anybody make sense of the following sentence:

The inn-keeper pointed out that the distance between George and and and and and Dragon was not equal.

[Bonn1827]

Enlighten us, oh great one!

[Quijote]

Orchestral treatises à la Piston (don't forget poor Gordon Jacob or Norman del Mar), double stopping and so on ... Oh, where to start? Still, let us remain calm and collected amid the forthcoming butchery that is - regrettably - my style.

[Quijote]

Ahh, but are the dragons rhetorical?

Nice picture. Nah, forget all this cod-Elizabethan parlance, let's get down to some hearty slaying. Talking of which, seems that I have some work ahead of me. I feel a "blitz" coming on, now that term is nearly over...

[Megan]

Megan, on this forum "there be dragons" indeed. Shall we slay them? By pen or sword? Hyperbole and other rhetorical devices, or sheer brute strength? What say you, maiden?

Ahh, but are the dragons rhetorical?

[Quijote]

Megan, on this forum "there be dragons" indeed. Shall we slay them? By pen or sword? Hyperbole and other rhetorical devices, or sheer brute strength? What say you, maiden?

[Megan]

St. George he was for England.
And before he killed the dragon
He drank a pint of English ale
Out of an English flagon.
For though he fast right readily
In hair-shirt or in mail.
It isn't safe to give him cakes
Unless you give him ale.

St George he was for England,
And right gallantly set free
The lady left for dragon's meat
And tied up to a tree;
But since he stood for England
And knew what England means,
Unless you give him bacon
You mustn't give him beans.

St George he is for England,
And shall wear the shield he wore
When we go out in armour
With the battle-cross before.
But though he is jolly company
And very pleased to dine,
It isn't safe to give him nuts
Unless you give him wine.


G. K. Chesterton



Make of that what you will.