Bored at work = Fun with words

It's been quite awhile since my last post. I have several events that I could (should?) have posted about, but didn't due to lack of time and perhaps motivation. Today, boredom is my motivation to post about words and how fun English grammar and punctuation can be.

Some sentences to contemplate:

1) Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.

This sentence plays with 1) a proper noun and adjective, Buffalo, as in Buffalo, NY, 2)a noun, buffalo, as in bison, and 3)a verb, buffalo, as in to bully.

2) James while John had had had had had had had had had had had a better effect on the teacher.

After punctuating this sentence it reads:

James, while John had had "had," had had "had had"; "had had" had had a better effect on the teacher.

Rearrange it and it becomes: While John had written "had," James had written "had had." The teacher preferred "had had."

3) That that is is that that is not is not is that it it is.

Again, capitalization and punctuation are key:

That that is, is. That that is not, is not. Is that it? It is.

4) If the police police police police, who polices the police police?

This is another example of using an adjective, noun and singular and plural verb - all of which happen to be the same word.

Next are syntactically ambiguous sentences, that is, they can be interpreted in different ways.

1) We saw her duck.

Did you see her fowl or did you see her lower her head?

2) Bear left at zoo.

Did someone leave a bear at the zoo or do you turn left when you get to the zoo?

3) They are hunting dogs.

Are 'they' hunting for dogs or are those dogs a type known as "hunting dogs?"

4) Time flies like an arrow... Fruit flies like a banana. - Groucho Marx

Of course you understand "Time flies like an arrow" to mean time flies as an arrow does. But, couldn't it mean to measure the speed of flying insects (flies) in the same manner you would measure that of an arrow? Or you could interpret it as if the arrow had the ability to measure time. It could also mean that a specific type of fly "time-flies" all enjoy a single arrow, much like that fruit flies like a banana.

5) Police help dog bite victim.

Did the police help the victim who was bitten by a dog, or did the police help the dog bite the victim?

6) While the man was hunting the deer ran through the forest.

Did the man run through the forest while hunting deer, or did the deer run through the forest while the man was hunting?

I hope you enjoyed the adventure through the English language. Grammar, punctuation and spelling does count!

I haven't slept for ten days, because that would be too long.

Cheers!

TIHA