I needed a sign for my fish and chips shop, so I ordered one online. What they sent me said “FishandChips”, so I had to write to them and explain that there were supposed to be spaces between Fish and and and and and Chips.
They weren’t sure what I meant. I suppose to be clearer I should have placed quote marks 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 and after Chips.
And you may well be wondering where I ought to have placed quotes and commas in that thing I just said...
If you’d called on the phone and said it out loud, the emphasis would have made the meaning straightforwardly interpretable. This… would not be the case for the buffalo sentence.
My favourite similar construction:
I needed a sign for my fish and chips shop, so I ordered one online. What they sent me said “FishandChips”, so I had to write to them and explain that there were supposed to be spaces between Fish and and and and and Chips.
They weren’t sure what I meant. I suppose to be clearer I should have placed quote marks 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 and after Chips.
And you may well be wondering where I ought to have placed quotes and commas in that thing I just said...
If you’d called on the phone and said it out loud, the emphasis would have made the meaning straightforwardly interpretable. This… would not be the case for the buffalo sentence.