No, I haven't lost my mind, and yes, I'm still a Grammar Nazi (except in chat). The title of this thread is a grammatically correct English sentence. Since some things can only be summarized in so many ways, please read this excerpt from the sentence's Wikipedia article:
Quote... used as an example of how homonyms and homophones can be used to create complicated linguistic constructs. It has been discussed in literature since 1972 when the sentence was used by William J. Rapaport, an associate professor at the University at Buffalo...
The sentence means that buffalo from Buffalo (the city in New York) buffalo (a.k.a. intimidate) other buffalo from Buffalo that buffalo buffalo from Buffalo.
BUFFALO. <-- that last one was a joke HA-HA-HA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo)
TL;DR:But let's get to the point of this thread. The point of this thread is to stimulate the discussion of the quirks of English linguistics. In short, tell of how the English language and its grammar can be weird.Another example is this: "James while John had had had had had had had had had had had a better effect on the teacher." Basically, it shows how punctuation is necessary and was used by philosopher Hans Reichenbach to "illustrate the different levels of language,"--again--according to Wikipedia. The correct punctuation is: "James, while John had had 'had', had had 'had had'; 'had had' had had a better effect on the teacher." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_while_John_had_had_had_had_had_had_had_had_had_had_had_a_better_effect_on_the_teacher (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_while_John_had_had_had_had_had_had_had_had_had_had_had_a_better_effect_on_the_teacher)
Still other examples (most of these obvious) are:
- a pair of pants, underwear, scissors, etc.
- two holes in one (as opposed to two hole in ones)
I'd thought of some good examples on my own a while ago, but unfortunately forgot them. Here's another Wikipedia article with some good grammatically weird sentences: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_linguistic_example_sentences (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_linguistic_example_sentences)
This is funny because I live in Buffalo.
Fish fish fish.
Also grammatically correct.
I live in a small town right next to Buffalo. That's also why I clicked this. It's pretty interesting if you ask me.
"In a similar vein, Martin Gardner offered the example: Wouldn't the sentence "I want to put a hyphen between the words Fish and And and And and Chips in my Fish-And-Chips sign" have been clearer if quotation marks had been placed before Fish, and between Fish and and, and and and And, and And and and, and and and And, and And and and, and and and Chips, as well as after Chips?"
...I'm so confused.
This thread...makes my head hurt.
The English language can be truly confusing at times.
Quote from: Kianglo on June 18, 2010, 06:52:11 AM
"In a similar vein, Martin Gardner offered the example: Wouldn't the sentence "I want to put a hyphen between the words Fish and And and And and Chips in my Fish-And-Chips sign" have been clearer if quotation marks had been placed before Fish, and between Fish and and, and and and And, and And and and, and and and And, and And and and, and and and Chips, as well as after Chips?"
...I'm so confused.
That's one of my favorites.