sentence o’ the day

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Got this via Fark. I’m not sure what it means, and my University education compels me to take the next hour to diagram it out, then write an essay where the number of pages of essay > the number of words in the sentence. That way, I’m guaranteed an “A;” only the really conscientious profs add “may be over-reading it” under the grade, and I try not to hang out with conscientious people, as it harshes my mellow.

The sentence o’ the day, from Wikipedia via Fark:

Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.

That's one, right there! He don't look much like a verb, do he?Redirected from Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo)

Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.” is a grammatically valid sentence used as an example of how homonyms and homophones can be used to create complicated constructs. It was featured in Steven Pinker‘s 1994 book The Language Instinct, but is known to have been around before February 1992 when it was posted to Linguist List by William J. Rapaport, an associate professor at the University at Buffalo.[1]

Sentences of this type, although not in such a refined form, have been known for a long time. A classical example is a proverb “Don’t trouble trouble until trouble troubles you”.

Also with bonus Boris!

Buffalo ho, yo!

5 thoughts on “sentence o’ the day

  1. That’s been around for ages.

    Try this one on for size:

    The child the parents had had had had had no breakfast.

    A degree in Linguistics is never wasted!

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