# Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 18, 2008, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo/433991 "2008-01-18T05:57:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo/433991/21 "2008-01-18T15:42:12Z")
[QUOTE=Wikipedia] Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo. [/QUOTE] Goose? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo/433991/22 "2008-01-18T16:00:53Z")
That phrase makes me angry enough to smash. Hmm… angry… -Gry -gry -Gry -gry -gry -gry -Gry -gry. Stick that up your cornhole and smoke it. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo/433991/23 "2008-01-18T16:10:57Z")
[QUOTE=Malacandra] Chigago dogs Chicago dogs bite bite Chicago dogs [/QUOTE] Sure, but I have a hard time pronouncing Chicago. Try replacing it with Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo/433991/24 "2008-01-18T16:45:44Z")
I’ll go with Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwryndrobwyllllantisiliogogogoch if that’s all right with you. I like to run with things that I know how to pronounce and spell. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo/433991/25 "2008-01-18T16:58:03Z")
[QUOTE=Malacandra] I’ll go with Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwryndrobwyllllantisiliogogogoch if that’s all right with you. I like to run with things that I know how to pronounce and spell. 😃 [/QUOTE] Easy for you to say. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo/433991/26 "2008-01-18T17:11:35Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > Chicago dogs Chicago dogs bite bite Chicago dogs Chicago dogs Chicago dogs Chicago dogs bite. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo/433991/27 "2008-01-18T17:17:25Z")
That article links to the Chinese poem “Lion-Eating Poet in the Stone Den”. Here’s an English translation: In a stone den was a poet Shi, who was a lion addict, and had resolved to eat ten. He often went to the market to look for lions. At ten o’clock, ten lions had just arrived at the market. At that time, Shi had just arrived at the market. He saw those ten lions, and using his trusty arrows, caused the ten lions to die. He brought the corpses of the ten lions to the stone den. The stone den was damp. He asked his servants to wipe it. After the stone den was wiped, he tried to eat those ten lions. When he ate, he realized that those ten lions were in fact ten stone lion corpses. Try to explain this matter. And here it is in the original Chinese (transcribed into romanized spelling with the tones indicated): « Shī Shì shí shī shǐ » Shíshì shīshì Shī Shì, shì shī, shì shí shí shī. Shì shíshí shì shì shì shī. Shí shí, shì shí shī shì shì. Shì shí, shì Shī Shì shì shì. Shì shì shì shí shī, shì shǐ shì, shǐ shì shí shī shìshì. Shì shí shì shí shī shī, shì shíshì. Shíshì shī, Shì shǐ shì shì shíshì. Shíshì shì, Shì shǐ shì shí shì shí shī. Shí shí, shǐ shí shì shí shī, shí shí shí shī shī. Shì shì shì shì. ---
**Author:** ![bannerrefugee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c68b51/32.png) [@bannerrefugee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bannerrefugee)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo/433991/28 "2008-01-18T17:18:10Z")
Buffalo meat is good. Yum ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo/433991/29 "2008-01-18T17:24:46Z")
[QUOTE=Flander] Badgers badgers badgers badgers… [/QUOTE] Ring ring ring ring ring ring ring ring Banannaphone! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo/433991/30 "2008-01-18T17:31:13Z")
I wish I hadn’t opened this thread. Now I’m feeling stabby. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo/433991/31 "2008-01-18T18:26:46Z")
[QUOTE=Argent Towers] I can’t believe this exists. I also have never ever heard anyone use the word “buffalo” in the third usage described there. [/QUOTE] Actually, I heard that third usage (which is pretty common, really) before I heard of Buffalo, NY. [QUOTE=as\_u\_wish] **Bison**. THe correct term is **Bison**. [/QUOTE] How do you know they were talking about bison? Water buffalo aren’t bison, nor are cape buffalo. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo/433991/32 "2008-01-18T18:43:56Z")
Well, I was going to mention “to from out of about down under up for,” but [this article](http://www.elephant.org.il/the_why_of_style/the_phrasals_and_the_had_had.html) ruined it for me. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo/433991/33 "2008-01-18T20:24:40Z")
Yup, learned this one in my Linguistics undergrad. My favourite, however, was “The horse raced past the barn fell.” ---
**Author:** ![Skara\_Brae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Skara\_Brae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skara_Brae)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo/433991/34 "2008-01-18T20:51:57Z")
[QUOTE=Argent Towers] I can’t believe this exists. I also have never ever heard anyone use the word “buffalo” in the third usage described there. Love the images, too. [/QUOTE] You know, I had not either, until this morning when I read this. An hour later, my boss asked me, “Does Scott have these guys buffaloed, or what?” :eek: Scary. ---
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo/433991/35 "2008-01-18T23:09:32Z")
[QUOTE=InvisibleWombat] How do you know they were talking about bison? Water buffalo aren’t bison, nor are cape buffalo. [/QUOTE] But Buffalo buffalo are indeed bison. Or are you trying to buffalo us? ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2008, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo/433991/36 "2008-01-19T00:54:28Z")
[QUOTE=USCDiver] That that is is; that that isn’t isn’t; that that is isn’t that that isn’t; that that isn’t isn’t that that is! [/QUOTE] My. That is quite Rumsfeldian. And perhaps Clintonesque, too. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2008, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo/433991/37 "2008-01-19T01:42:20Z")
[QUOTE=Scuba\_Ben] But Buffalo buffalo are indeed bison. Or are you trying to buffalo us? [/QUOTE] I’d never try to buffalo you, but Buffalo buffalo are definitely buffalo, since bison (and buffalo) aren’t native to Buffalo, so the Buffalo buffalo being buffaloed in Buffalo are all actually in the zoo. ETA: Besides, I’ve never heard of anyone getting “bisoned,” except for stupid tourists in Yellowstone or the Black Hills that think the bison are tame. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2008, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo/433991/38 "2008-01-19T04:45:03Z")
The word buffalo has now lost all meaning for me. Also, I think I’ve gone cross-eyed. (Colorless green ideas sleep furiously!) ---
**Author:** ![Maui\_Lion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@Maui\_Lion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maui_Lion)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2008, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo/433991/39 "2008-01-19T05:11:35Z")
I have never seen this before. And now my head hurts. I think I understand it now though. I think. Yeah. I’m going to read this page a little more closely and share it with friends for giggles too. Buffalo. ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo/433991/40 "2008-01-20T00:15:37Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] Doing a full substitution, using NY, bison, and fool: Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo NY bison NY bison fool fool NY bison. or: NY bison [that] NY bison fool, fool NY bison. Or in other words: Bison from NY that fool other bison from NY, fool bison from NY. [/QUOTE] I think that last one is slightly wrong. It should be “Bison from NY that are foold by other bison from NY, fool bison from NY,” shouldn’t it? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo/433991.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo/433991.md?page=3)