Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo

Karl Hungus · 02-09-2008 06:23PM #1

Saw this posted on another message board and found it incredibly fascinating, and highly amusing, so I thought I'd have to share it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_buffalo

"Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo." is a grammatically correct sentence used as an example of how homonyms and homophones can be used to create complicated constructs. It has been discussed in literature since 1972 when the sentence was used by William J. Rapaport, currently an associate professor at the University at Buffalo.[1] It was posted to Linguist List by Rapaport in 1992.[2] It was also featured in Steven Pinker's 1994 book The Language Instinct. Sentences of this type, although not in such a refined form, have been known for a long time. A classic example is the proverb "Don't trouble trouble until trouble troubles you".

Here's another one that's quite puzzling me: James while John had had had had had had had had had had had a better effect on the teacher.

Piste · 02-09-2008 06:27PM

Baconandeggs.

Seems I forgot to put a space between bacon and and and and and eggs

Terry · 02-09-2008 06:28PM

I like to break stuff.

Karl Hungus · 02-09-2008 06:36PM

Terry wrote: »

I like to break stuff.

If by 'stuff' you mean the spirits of regular AH users.

FunkZ · 02-09-2008 06:41PM

Karl Hungus wrote: »

If by 'stuff' you mean the spirits of regular AH users.

Here is five million dollars!

mike65 · 02-09-2008 06:42PM

This thread is too sophisicated for AH

Mike

Karl Hungus · 02-09-2008 06:44PM

mike65 wrote: »

This thread is too sophisicated for AH

Mike

Ah, you're probably right there Mike.

Silenceisbliss · 02-09-2008 06:46PM

elephant's elephant elephants elephant elephant's elephants

mike65 · 02-09-2008 06:51PM

Karl eats shoots and leaves (for the linguistic etymology forum)

Mike

dlofnep · 02-09-2008 06:51PM

dlofnep disagrees that Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo is a gramatically correct sentence.

Call Me Jimmy · 02-09-2008 06:53PM

Did de buffaloz take arr jabz or wha?

phasers · 02-09-2008 06:56PM

I don't understand

antodeco · 02-09-2008 07:13PM

I for one welcome our buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo.

Bros123 · 02-09-2008 07:17PM

Hunky Dorys....

MMMMMMMM.......

BUFFALO..........

_blank_ · 02-09-2008 07:22PM

Bison bison bison bison bison bison bison bison

tbh.

TPD · 02-09-2008 07:24PM

Karl Hungus wrote: »

Saw this posted on another message board and found it incredibly fascinating, and highly amusing, so I thought I'd have to share it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_buffalo

Here's another one that's quite puzzling me: James while John had had had had had had had had had had had a better effect on the teacher.

Your a homophone.

Karl Hungus · 02-09-2008 07:38PM

TPD wrote: »

Your a homophone.

It's you're!!!! Grammar for the love of all that is buffalo!!! :mad: ARGH!!!!

Jimbo · 02-09-2008 07:41PM

Can someone explain the buffalo one?

growler · 02-09-2008 07:41PM

Buffalo elephant wolfs armadillo sh1t ....

i give up

stupid game

Karl Hungus · 02-09-2008 07:46PM

jimbo78 wrote: »

Can someone explain the buffalo one?

Did you not read the wikipedia page? It explains it perfectly.

The sentence is unpunctuated and uses three different readings of the word "buffalo". In order of their first use, these are

* c. The city of Buffalo, New York (or any other place named "Buffalo"), which is used as an adjective in the sentence and is followed by the animal;
* a. The animal buffalo, in the plural (equivalent to "buffaloes" or "buffalos"), in order to avoid articles (a noun);
* v. The verb "buffalo" meaning to bully, confuse, deceive, or intimidate.

Marking each "buffalo" with its use as shown above gives

Buffaloc buffaloa Buffaloc buffaloa buffalov buffalov Buffaloc buffaloa.

Thus, the sentence when parsed reads as a description of the pecking order in the social hierarchy of buffaloes living in Buffalo:

[Those] (Buffalo buffalo) [whom] (Buffalo buffalo buffalo) buffalo (Buffalo buffalo).
[Those] buffalo(es) from Buffalo [that are intimidated by] buffalo(es) from Buffalo intimidate buffalo(es) from Buffalo.
Bison from Buffalo, New York, who are intimidated by other bison in their community also happen to intimidate other bison in their community.
THE buffalo FROM Buffalo WHO ARE buffaloed BY buffalo FROM Buffalo ALSO buffalo THE buffalo FROM Buffalo.

growler wrote: »

Buffalo elephant wolfs armadillo sh1t ....

i give up

stupid game

...

It's not a game. Who said it was?

Mike was right, this is far too sophisticated for After Hours.

TPD · 02-09-2008 07:50PM

Karl Hungus wrote: »

It's you're!!!! Grammar for the love of all that is buffalo!!! :mad: ARGH!!!!

I was being ironic.

*hopes that excuse works*

I'd usually be the first to give out about something like that. I blame the beer.

Karl Hungus · 02-09-2008 07:54PM

TPD wrote: »

I was being ironic.

*hopes that excuse works*

I'd usually be the first to give out about something like that. I blame the beer.

I still laughed.

growler · 02-09-2008 07:56PM

TPD wrote: »

I was being ironic.

*hopes that excuse works*

I'd usually be the first to give out about something like that. I blame the beer.

what he said , obviously :rolleyes: some people these days

shoelaceface · 02-09-2008 08:22PM

im COMPLETELY lost by it all

Carsinian Thau · 02-09-2008 08:36PM

dlofnep wrote: »

dlofnep disagrees that Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo is a gramatically correct sentence.

You're not Pighead. Don't try to be. No-one can take his place.

Töpher · 02-09-2008 08:36PM

Marklar?

Earthhorse · 02-09-2008 08:40PM

TPD wrote: »

Your a homophone.

No need to bring his sexuality into it.

Karl Hungus wrote: »

Mike was right, this is far too sophisticated for After Hours.

Hungus hung us.

Karoma · 02-09-2008 08:47PM

Earthhorse wrote: »

No need to bring his sexuality into it.

You would say that, homonym. ¬_¬

Anyone who doesn't get it, with the explanation linked to... *shakes head* Learn French. Speak French. Never look back and despise those who speak English.

Bros123 · 02-09-2008 08:48PM

Carsinian Thau wrote: »

You're not Pighead. Don't try to be. No-one can take his place.

Thank God.1 is quite enough.

Terry · 02-09-2008 09:03PM

Karl Hungus wrote: »

If by 'stuff' you mean the spirits of regular AH users.

Yes.

darkman2 · 02-09-2008 09:24PM

Piste wrote: »

Baconandeggs.

Seems I forgot to put a space between bacon and and and and and eggs

Bertie, is that you?

Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo

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