Wednesday, 30 March 2011

Is Is Is

I've remarked before on the mysterious phenomenon of the Double Is. Since I wrote that a year ago, this strange usage has spread - and on this morning's Today programme, Justin Webb took it to the next level. He achieved a Triple Is in a 'question' that began thus: 'The question is is - is it possible that...?'My ears are now cocked for the inevitable Quadruple Is...
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4 comments:

  1. The Spine30 March 2011 at 11:48

    I call a foul. That's just a slip of the tongue. Now if he'd said, 'the question is: is "is is" grammatically correct?' I would have been impressed.

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  2. malty30 March 2011 at 15:00

    All started with Donald Rumsfeld and his known unknowns or perhaps the song is you is or is you ain't my baby

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  3. David31 March 2011 at 10:40

    A very dear friend of mine - eccentric? Oh Yes! - uses the quadruple is, and sometimes more. He uses it as punctuation with no sense attached as in: "I asked him is is is is what time do you leave?
    Makes for amusing evenings of conversation!

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  4. Nige1 April 2011 at 16:19

    See also
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHp0LxJixvw

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