# Linguistic term: Using a word with different meanings twice in a construction **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 10, 2005, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linguistic-term-using-a-word-with-different-meanings-twice-in-a-construction/289316 "2005-02-10T01:19:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linguistic-term-using-a-word-with-different-meanings-twice-in-a-construction/289316/1 "2005-02-10T01:19:06Z")
I came across this in a dictionary by accident while looking for something else–and have since forgotten it. There’s a very specific name for a pun using a word twice (or conceivably more times) in a sentence with different meanings. Or possibly it was using multiple objects for one occurrence of the verb, but the one occurrence having a different meaning for the objects. For example: When I fell out the window, the tree beneath it broke my fall and (broke) my leg. I had a busy day today when I cut off my jeans, my ungrateful son, and three different cars. ---
**Author:** ![Tinker\_Grey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tinker_grey/32/8136_2.png) [@Tinker\_Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tinker_Grey)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linguistic-term-using-a-word-with-different-meanings-twice-in-a-construction/289316/2 "2005-02-10T02:13:22Z")
Do either [zeugma](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=zeugma) or [syllepsis](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=syllepsis) work for you? ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linguistic-term-using-a-word-with-different-meanings-twice-in-a-construction/289316/3 "2005-02-10T02:15:05Z")
Many thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Tinker\_Grey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tinker_grey/32/8136_2.png) [@Tinker\_Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tinker_Grey)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linguistic-term-using-a-word-with-different-meanings-twice-in-a-construction/289316/4 "2005-02-10T02:16:50Z")
Hey, no problem. I’m just pleased there was something I could contribute to. ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linguistic-term-using-a-word-with-different-meanings-twice-in-a-construction/289316/5 "2005-02-10T13:25:34Z")
Slight Hijack. Can someone PLEASE explain (and define) the entire “He had had had had had had…” Brainteaser? Its a situation where you provide the punctuation, and somehow like six -had- in a row. I still don’t get it, and frankly, I had had had enough of this years ago. ((Yes, I understand three in a row, but not 6)) ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linguistic-term-using-a-word-with-different-meanings-twice-in-a-construction/289316/6 "2005-02-10T13:26:56Z")
Thats “…like six -had- becomes perfectly gramarically correct” ---
**Author:** ![Ithaka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Ithaka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ithaka)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linguistic-term-using-a-word-with-different-meanings-twice-in-a-construction/289316/7 "2005-02-10T14:15:32Z")
Seven in a row: In the first report you had had “had”. Had “had had” had your approval? It’s a question asked to someone writing a report. In the first draft they wrote “John had an accident”, in the second “John had had an accident”. Does this make sense? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Ithaka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Ithaka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ithaka)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linguistic-term-using-a-word-with-different-meanings-twice-in-a-construction/289316/8 "2005-02-10T14:41:12Z")
I was doing that from memory. In fact you can do 11 in a row: [Hads](http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/6174/had-had.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linguistic-term-using-a-word-with-different-meanings-twice-in-a-construction/289316/9 "2005-02-10T14:47:01Z")
**Tinker Grey** , I have to ask. How many years have you been waiting for a chance to use that particular part of your vocabulary in public? How sweet it must be! 😉 ## Tris “Swat my hind with a melon rind, That’s my penguin state of mind.” ~ Opus ~ ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linguistic-term-using-a-word-with-different-meanings-twice-in-a-construction/289316/10 "2005-02-10T15:23:44Z")
[Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.](http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/001817.html) ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linguistic-term-using-a-word-with-different-meanings-twice-in-a-construction/289316/11 "2005-02-10T17:28:06Z")
> [@MikeS](#): > > [Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.](http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/001817.html) It works for ‘fish’ too. A funny incident that never really happened: A: Any number of the word “fish” form a grammatical sentence. B: Umm. 6. A: Fish fish fish fish fish fish. B: uh? A: Long explanation. Name another number, B: Uh… 2iπ. A: I fish fish pie. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linguistic-term-using-a-word-with-different-meanings-twice-in-a-construction/289316/12 "2005-02-10T18:07:29Z")
Whoa! Hi, **Tinker** , I didn’t know you were a Doper. ---
**Author:** ![alimarx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@alimarx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alimarx)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linguistic-term-using-a-word-with-different-meanings-twice-in-a-construction/289316/13 "2005-02-10T18:07:33Z")
Does “Fuck you, you fucking fuck” fit in here anywere? ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linguistic-term-using-a-word-with-different-meanings-twice-in-a-construction/289316/14 "2005-02-10T23:42:34Z")
> [@alimarx](#): > > Does “Fuck you, you fucking fuck” fit in here anywere? Yeah, The Pit. 😉