# Brain Teaser: Herd of Buffaloes **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 26, 2005, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-teaser-herd-of-buffaloes/301244 "2005-04-26T20:49:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-teaser-herd-of-buffaloes/301244/1 "2005-04-26T20:49:24Z")
Okay, based on an example in Stephen Pinker’s excellent book _The Language Instinct_, I’ve got a favorite new brain teaser: all you have to do is punctuate the following series of words such that they’re a grammatically correct sentence. Ready? Here goes. BUFFALO BUFFALO BUFFALO BUFFALO BUFFALO BUFFALO BUFFALO BUFFALO And here’s the answer: Put a period at the end. Still confused? I’ll post hints later. TIP: Try sounding it out loud. It may not help you solve the puzzle, but it’ll provide entertainment for your coworkers. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-teaser-herd-of-buffaloes/301244/2 "2005-04-26T20:56:38Z")
Or you could put a “-gry” at the end. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-teaser-herd-of-buffaloes/301244/3 "2005-04-26T21:03:35Z")
What’s the difference between buffalo and bison? [Aussie accent] Yew cahn’t wash yer fice in a buffalo! ---
**Author:** ![Arch\_Trout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9f8e36/32.png) [@Arch\_Trout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arch_Trout)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-teaser-herd-of-buffaloes/301244/4 "2005-04-26T21:21:34Z")
Eh? 😕 Makes no sense to me at all. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-teaser-herd-of-buffaloes/301244/5 "2005-04-26T21:23:17Z")
Herd of buffaloes? Of course I’ve heard of buffaloes! ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-teaser-herd-of-buffaloes/301244/6 "2005-04-26T21:24:32Z")
> [@Arch Trout](#): > > Eh? 😕 > Makes no sense to me at all. [spoiler]I believe it’s pedantic. The sentence “BUFFALO BUFFALO BUFFALO BUFFALO BUFFALO BUFFALO BUFFALO BUFFALO.” Is technically grammatically correct. Am I rite or am I left? [/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-teaser-herd-of-buffaloes/301244/7 "2005-04-26T21:27:52Z")
Considering too many people call the American Bison a buffalo when it isn’t, and that the scientific name for the American Bison is _Bison bison_, I’d say you got a herd for four there, Bill. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-teaser-herd-of-buffaloes/301244/8 "2005-04-26T21:29:23Z")
Bill? ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-teaser-herd-of-buffaloes/301244/9 "2005-04-26T21:37:20Z")
[spoiler]‘Buffalo’ is a plural noun, a verb and an adjective. “Buffalo buffalo” means “Shaggy oxlike animals intimidate.” Add a ‘buffalo’ at the end and you have 'Shaggy oxlike animals intimidate [other] shaggy oxlike animals." Specify that the shaggy oxlike animals are from a city in Western New York and you get “Buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.” Unfortunately, that only gets us to five buffaloes. I could see if it was ‘Buffalo buffalo buffalo; Buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.’ Sadly, it’s not, so I assume I’m just missing something.[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-teaser-herd-of-buffaloes/301244/10 "2005-04-26T21:37:22Z")
Okay, for those who wanna try it out for real (and the answer is a grammatically correct sentence, with subject and verb and everything), here’s your first hint: [spoiler]I did it in all-caps to be a pain in the butt. If you wanna do it in normal case, it should look like: Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.[/spoiler] Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Arch\_Trout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9f8e36/32.png) [@Arch\_Trout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arch_Trout)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-teaser-herd-of-buffaloes/301244/11 "2005-04-26T21:38:38Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > [spoiler]I believe it’s pedantic. The sentence “BUFFALO BUFFALO BUFFALO BUFFALO BUFFALO BUFFALO BUFFALO BUFFALO.” Is technically grammatically correct. > > Am I rite or am I left? > > [/spoiler] Could I do the same for sheep, or am I totally on the wrong track? This is what’s wrong with the British educational system, I’ve never been formally taught grammar as a seperate subject. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-teaser-herd-of-buffaloes/301244/12 "2005-04-26T21:39:04Z")
Ooh, nice, **Ace**! You have an alternate answer to the teaser, and it works great! You’re definitely on the right track, though. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-teaser-herd-of-buffaloes/301244/13 "2005-04-26T21:44:39Z")
> [@Arch Trout](#): > > Could I do the same for sheep, or am I totally on the wrong track? > This is what’s wrong with the British educational system, I’ve never been formally taught grammar as a seperate subject. As you can see from the simulposts I was on the wrong trACK. [spoiler]I thought the riddle went no further than what I guessed. But it…I’ve lost the will to live. Not really.[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-teaser-herd-of-buffaloes/301244/14 "2005-04-26T22:34:11Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > Bill? What’s the subject of this thread? Add in the name Bill. Think about it. ---
**Author:** ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-teaser-herd-of-buffaloes/301244/15 "2005-04-26T23:03:01Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Herd of buffaloes? > > Of course I’ve heard of buffaloes! No, a buffalo herd. I don’t care, I got no secrets from the buffaloes. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-teaser-herd-of-buffaloes/301244/16 "2005-04-26T23:30:00Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > What’s the subject of this thread? > > Add in the name Bill. > > Think about it. Buffalo bill Buffalo Bill, buffalo Buffalo Bill? [Spoiler] American bison charge money to William Cody, intimidate member of National Football League team based in New York state.[/Spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-teaser-herd-of-buffaloes/301244/17 "2005-04-26T23:33:55Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Herd of buffaloes? > > Of course I’ve heard of buffaloes! Hey Abbott!! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2005, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-teaser-herd-of-buffaloes/301244/18 "2005-04-27T00:13:23Z")
> [@Tentacle Monster](#): > > No, a buffalo herd. > > I don’t care, I got no secrets from the buffaloes. > [@ShibbOleth](#): > > Hey Abbott! Great Ghu, we’re weird! Classicists abound. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2005, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-teaser-herd-of-buffaloes/301244/19 "2005-04-27T00:29:27Z")
Can I roller skate with them? ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2005, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-teaser-herd-of-buffaloes/301244/20 "2005-04-27T00:37:38Z")
> [@Reeder](#): > > Can I roller skate with them? NO! You can’t roller skate in a buffalo herd! 😛 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-teaser-herd-of-buffaloes/301244.md?page=2)