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Bamboozle the buffalo
Turns out, "Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo" is a grammatically correct sentence. This baffled me at first, but the linguists at Language Log have some explanatory paraphrases that clear things out:
Buffalo.
"Engage in bamboozlement."
Buffalo buffalo.
"American bison are characteristically given to engaging in bambloozlement."
Buffalo buffalo buffalo.
"American bison are characteristically given to bamboozling other members of their species."
Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo.
"American bison habitually bamboozled by members of their own species (that is, buffalo whom other buffalo regularly buffalo) characteristically engage in bamboozlement."
Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo.
"American bison habitually bamboozled by members of their own species (that is, buffalo whom other buffalo regularly buffalo) tend to return the compliment by bamboozling in turn yet other members of the species." (ELHAM)
October 4, 2007
