Pet Peeve of the Day: The “Double Is”

So, as a proofreader, I see lots of errors. Most of them don’t bother me. I mean, people make errors. No big deal. If it weren’t for them, I’d be out of a job.

But occasionally, one particular mistake really snags my shorts. Today, it is the “double is.” This is when, for no apparent reason, people insert an extra “is” (or another form of the verb “to be”) into their speech, with a pause between the two. Examples:

• “The truth is, is that I could not care less.”
• “The fact of the matter is, is that most people will vote on Tuesday.”
• “The reason being, is that I have a headache today.”

Today I heard it again. On NPR. From the mouth of an educated, articulate person who should be above such lazy speech.

But then I thought: Is it really incorrect? Is it some obscure type of clause that I didn’t know about before? Is it one of those slangy turns of phrase that has crept so far into the English language that it’s here to stay, correct or not?

“Double Copula”: Grammatical Error, or Oddball Architectural Feature?

I Googled it and discovered that somebody has given this speech pattern a name: the double copula. (A copula is what we all learned in school as a “linking verb,” as in the phrases “He is tall,” or “Something smells funny.”)

Wikipedia has a short summary: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_copula

I consulted Webster’s and the Chicago Manual of Style, but I couldn’t find a final word on whether the double is is actually incorrect, or just slangy, or what.

But wait! Didn’t I just use the word is twice in a row in that last sentence?!?! Yes, I did. And Microsoft Word dinged me for it, placing the squiggly red line beneath the second instance of is.

In some cases, using the word is twice in a row is 100% grammatically correct (despite what MS Word thinks). Examples of correct usage:

1. What the problem is is still unclear.
2. My inability to figure out what the solution is is really bugging me.

If sentences like those feel awkward, you can always reword them. For instance:

1. The nature of the problem is still unclear.
2. It’s really bugging me that I haven’t been able to figure out the solution.

So What’s the Final Answer?

Beats me! Grammar geek that I am, I will submit this as a question to the Q&A section of the Chicago Manual’s website. If they answer it, I’ll post it here.