Try diciphering this!!

I have been really intrigued with this activity that my Research and writing lecturer gave us. That exercise was to deciper this. It was part of a real taxation act in 1936.

Out of the whole class of 400 students, I don't believe even 10 got this right. Try it. Haha... have fun scratching your heads! And DO post a comment with your answer! I got the answer wrong, but know the correct answer now. I will let you know when one of you gets the right answer!

The question: Which animal/s do you need a licence for: male and/or female dogs and/or male and/or female cats?

PET ACT, 1936

6(1) ‘Cat’ includes dog.

…

26 A licence must be held for
…
(f) any cat that is not a cat that
(i) would not be a cat were it not for s 6(1) and
(ii) is not male.

The point of this exercise was to prove the point of "avoiding negatives like a plague." Imagine if lawyers wrote like that these days- no one would understand them! Thank goodness the writing style has been changed during the last couple of years!