In college I was introduced to the combination of meanings one can get with the uses of the word "only" in the sentence "I hit him in the eye." I have just come across a better and more entertaining use of the word "only". Here it is, from Marilyn vos Savant's "Ask Marilyn" column in the August 25, 1996 issue of Parade Magazine (Page 16).
There is only one word that can be placed successfully in any of the numbered positions in this sentence to produce 10 sentences of different meaning (each sentence has 10 words):
(1) I (2) helped (3) my (4) dog (5) carry (6) my (7) husband's (8) slippers (9) yesterday (10).
What is that word?
- Gloria J., Salt Lake City, Utah
The word is "only," which makes up the following 10 sentences:
(Usually the cat helps too, but she was busy with a mouse.)
(The dog wanted me to carry them all by myself, but I refused.)
(I was too busy to help my neighbor's dog when he carried them.)
(I considered getting another dog but my cat disapproved.)
( I didn't help the dog eat them; I usually let the cat do that.)
(My dog and I didn'y have the time to help my neighbor's husband.)
(I considered getting another husband, but one is enough.)
(My husband had two pairs of slippers, but the cat ate one pair.)
(And now the dog wants help again; I wish he'd ask the cat.)
(And believe me, once was enough - the slippers tasted terrible. )