Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo

[iacas]

Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo

It's a grammatically correct sentence, but I still don't know how. And I'm usually pretty good with these types of things, so I'm hoping to understand it more via discussion here.

So let's substitute some words.

• I'll use "bullies" for the verb version of "buffalo."
• I'll use "bison" for the animal version.
• I'll use "Erie" for the proper noun (city name).

Erie bison Erie bison bully bully Erie bison.

If that sentence said "Erie bison bully Erie bison" I'd be on board. Fine.

But I can't think of another example where you have a PN N PN N type combo with two verbs in a row that both act on something else (the verb phrase here). Can someone give me an example using "N N V V N" phrasing? (Because PN N is really just an N).

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Okay, I think I just needed to actually think about it for a second. This example on the Wikipedia page:

Buffalo buffalo (buffalo from Buffalo NY) [that] Buffalo buffalo buffalo (that the buffalo from Buffalo NY bully) buffalo Buffalo buffalo (are bullying buffalo from Buffalo NY).

Translated:

Erie bison [that] Erie bison bully bully Erie bison.

Okay, that makes sense. But it requires the additional word [that] to "sound right" to me. But if you change the words, you can get something like this. Changing the words entirely you can get a sentence like this:

Good instructors bad golfers use teach good golfers too. (the word "too" is inconsequential here - I could have typed "Good instructors bad golfers use also teach good golfers" or left "too/also" out altogether).

Some other examples, off the top of my head:

• Small children big children pick on tease red-headed children.
• California teams Pittsburgh teams beat beat Texas teams.
• Wine drinkers beer drinkers hate hate lousy champagne.

Okay, I'm good now. Glad I could have that talk with y'all.

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Not for nothing:

Quote

Thomas Tymoczko has pointed out that there is nothing special about eight "buffalos"; any sentence consisting solely of the word "buffalo" repeated any number of times is grammatically correct. The shortest is "Buffalo!", which can be taken as an imperative instruction to bully someone ("[You] buffalo!") with the implied subject "you" removed.[1]:99–100, 104 Tymoczko uses the sentence as an example illustrating rewrite rules in linguistics.[1]:104–105

So now explain the sentence… Buffalo buffalo³⁷!

Just kidding.

[turtleback]

Spoiler

You know, if you say the word Buffalo enough times it starts to sound really weird and funny.

 

[nevets88]

There's something similar in Chinese, but not the same word, instead, similar sound.

Lion-Eating Poet in the Stone Den

《施氏食狮史》
石室诗士施氏，嗜狮，誓食十狮。
氏时时适市视狮。
十时，适十狮适市。
是时，适施氏适市。
氏视是十狮，恃矢势，使是十狮逝世。
氏拾是十狮尸，适石室。
石室湿，氏使侍拭石室。
石室拭，氏始试食是十狮。
食时，始识是十狮尸，实十石狮尸。
试释是事。

[ronin74]

Can the verb form of buffalo turn into an adverb?

 

[iacas]

Is it crazy how saying sentences backwards creates backwards sentences saying how crazy it is?

[GolfLug]

Didn't know 'buffalo' came in a verb version..

[Valleygolfer]

1 hour ago, GolfLug said:

Didn't know 'buffalo' came in a verb version..

People have been said to have been "buffaloed" by something

[14ledo81]

2 hours ago, GolfLug said:

Didn't know 'buffalo' came in a verb version..

Its true.  You are not being buffaloed....

[CoachB25]

Eric, I don't have the answer for you but appreciate the thread.  I think I finally figured out how to say it.  Anyway, in high school, I had an English Teacher who hated me.  In fact, she told the class that.  One of her tests on punctuation and capitalization contained the following two problems:

where bill had had had joe had had had had had had had had the better effect upon the teacher

that that is is that that is not is not that that is not is not that that is nor is that that is that that is not

 

I hated her!

[Papa Steve 55]