(Courtesy istockphoto)
I mentioned this in passing on Confessions several weeks ago, but wanted to share it in detail here.
The title of this post–”Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.”–is actually a valid and grammatically correct sentence.
To understand the above sentence, you need to know that the word “buffalo” appears as three different parts of speech:
1. adjective – Used to describe a variety of buffalo from the city of Buffalo.
2. noun – A bison animal.
3. verb – To bully or intimidate.
This sentence becomes a little easier to understand if you substitute “bison” for the noun version of buffalo, and “bully” for the verb version of buffalo:
Buffalo bison Buffalo bison bully bully Buffalo bison.
Here is another way to understand what the sentence is saying:
THE buffalo FROM Buffalo WHO ARE buffaloed BY buffalo FROM Buffalo, buffalo OTHER buffalo FROM Buffalo.
And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to have a double shot of Folgers.
(source: Wikipedia)