Mitchell Andrus
12-26-2009, 5:51 PM
Sometimes, someone says somthing during dinner that warrants further investigation. Here is a clever conversation starter:
Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.
The sentence is unpunctuated and uses three different readings of the word "buffalo". In order of their first use, these are
a. the city of Buffalo, NY, which is used as an adjective in the sentence and is followed by the animal;
n. the noun, "buffalo", an animal, in the plural (equivalent to "buffaloes" or "buffalos"), in order to avoid articles;
v. the verb, "buffalo" meaning to bully, confuse, deceive, or intimidate.
Marking each "buffalo" with its use as shown above gives you:
Buffaloa buffalon Buffaloa buffalon buffalov buffalov Buffaloa buffalon. Thus, the sentence parsed:
[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. "Buffalo buffalo (main clause Subject) [which the] Buffalo buffalo (subordinate clause Direct Object) buffalo [subordinate clause Verb] buffalo [main clause Verb] Buffalo buffalo [main clause Direct Object]."
It may be revealing to read the sentence replacing all instances of the animal buffalo with "people" and the verb buffalo with "intimidate". The sentence then reads:
"Buffalo people [whom] Buffalo people intimidate [also happen to] intimidate Buffalo people."
Homonyms and homophones can twist your brain.
Anyone have another?
.
Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.
The sentence is unpunctuated and uses three different readings of the word "buffalo". In order of their first use, these are
a. the city of Buffalo, NY, which is used as an adjective in the sentence and is followed by the animal;
n. the noun, "buffalo", an animal, in the plural (equivalent to "buffaloes" or "buffalos"), in order to avoid articles;
v. the verb, "buffalo" meaning to bully, confuse, deceive, or intimidate.
Marking each "buffalo" with its use as shown above gives you:
Buffaloa buffalon Buffaloa buffalon buffalov buffalov Buffaloa buffalon. Thus, the sentence parsed:
[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. "Buffalo buffalo (main clause Subject) [which the] Buffalo buffalo (subordinate clause Direct Object) buffalo [subordinate clause Verb] buffalo [main clause Verb] Buffalo buffalo [main clause Direct Object]."
It may be revealing to read the sentence replacing all instances of the animal buffalo with "people" and the verb buffalo with "intimidate". The sentence then reads:
"Buffalo people [whom] Buffalo people intimidate [also happen to] intimidate Buffalo people."
Homonyms and homophones can twist your brain.
Anyone have another?
.