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"People smile when they finally understand your shirt"

I DON'T GET THIS SHIRT

Read the shirt carefully. Now read it again. You missed the second “the”

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$19.99

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Why This Shirt Works:

Now if you look at the first "the" in the sentence, you will find that another "the" follows. One place it simplifies when reading is to "gloss over" the words that have no real meaning, but are necessary for proper grammar and sentence structure (of, the, a). Your brain pays so little attention to the word "the" that it skips over it... even if it shows up twice in a row.


Read carefully!

Most people don’t see the extra “the” in this age-old adage... even after reading the statement multiple times! Your brain, to accomplish its job of multi-tasking (ex. keeping you alive AND reading), has to simplify and automate when it can. One place it simplifies when reading is to "gloss over" the words that have no real meaning, but are necessary for proper grammar and sentence structure (of, the, a). Your brain pays so little attention to the word "the" that it skips over it... even if it shows up twice in a row.

The evolution of “a bird in the hand”

• 1382 - “A living dog is better than a dead lion.” Ecclesiastes IX, Wycliffe Bible - The words are different but the meaning is there.

• 1530 - “A byrd in hand- is worth ten fly at large.” The book of nurture or school of good manners

• 1546 - “Better one byrd in hande than ten in the wood.” A dialogue containing the number in effect of all proverbs in the English tongue

• 1734 - Bird in Hand, Pennsylvania founded – the saying reaches U.S.

• 1801 - “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” The Monthly Review, London