Today John demonstrated to the Schaeffer group that "Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo" is a grammatically correct English sentence, describing the social hierarchy of bison at the western end of the Erie Canal.
"Buffalo buffalo" are bison from Buffalo, New York. "To buffalo" is also a verb meaning "to intimidate." So read the sentence as: "(Buffalo buffalo) [that] (Buffalo buffalo) buffalo, buffalo [other] (Buffalo buffalo)."
Translation (courtesy of Wikipedia): "Bison from Buffalo, New York, who are intimidated by other bison in their community, also happen to intimidate other bison in their community. "
Joe says you can tell it's the end of an Oxford term -- students' brains are starting to snap.
6 comments:
oh.my.wow. all i can say is:
buffalo girls won't you come out tonight,
won't you come out tonight,
won't you come out tonight.
Buffalo girls won't you come out tonight
and dance by the light of the moon!
:-D
Too many buffalo. Or should that be too many Buffalo buffalo.
Th standard one, in case you hadn't heard it, is:
"James, while Jones had had 'had had', had had 'had'. 'Had had' had had the examiner's approval."
Sirius, that is not how the song goes! It is, "Buffalo gals won't you come out tonight..." :-D That sentence is just scary. :)
that's what i said
No you said, girls. It's important to say gals. It changes the whole song. :-D
Ooh, I like the buffalo one - and the 'had' one. My best till now was 'Badgers badgers badger badger badgers'. Can you parse that?
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