Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo

· from English

What does Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo mean?

Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo is a grammatically correct English sentence using one word as city, animal and verb (to bully).

It was popularised by linguist William J. Rapaport, who used it in 1972. Parsed: bison from Buffalo, whom other Buffalo bison bully, themselves bully Buffalo bison. It is the English cousin of Chao's shi poem and a classic garden-path challenge.

Examples

Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo; Police police police police; James while John had had had had had had had had had had had a better effect on the teacher

Kungfucius says: Eight identical words, one valid sentence, many headaches.