Stupid English Tricks

[the_gneech]

Snagged from linguaphiles:

In the sentence "Time flies like an arrow", any of the first three words can be the verb.

-The Gneech

Comments

[shockwave77598.livejournal.com]

Yes, but fruit flies like a banana.

This is an age-old test for theoretical A.I. systems. You give the candidate the sentence "Time flies like an arrow but fruit flies like a banana," and see what the response is. A purely logical (non-intelligent) system will be unable to parse it properly while an intelligent system will either ask you to explain or call you a smart-ass.

[the-gneech.livejournal.com]

I wonder how Groucho feels about his little chestnut being used that way! :) -TG

[punktiger.livejournal.com]

One of my pet English exercises is: how many ways can you take the sentence "Mary made the robot fast." when spoken? The use of homonyms/homophones are accepted and punctuation is optional. I think I've gotten around 10 or 12. Try it. :)

- PT!

hrmm

[katsunewolf.livejournal.com]

oddly reminds me of an English question i was once given in school.
I dont remember how it goes exactly.
It was somthing like.

You were given a bunch of words, an you had to make -one- sentence out of it by just adding commas.

i Think it went somthing like..

Mary and John used and and, and, and, and, and and and, to make a better sentence..

or somthing. i dont remember, my brain hurted after reading it..

^~Kai

[level-head.livejournal.com]

Among other things, it is an instruction to clock the airborne speed of Drosophila in a manner similar to the method used for fletched projectiles.

===|==============/ Level Head

[wabbitcalif.livejournal.com]

Ok, so time flies like an arrow -- but how does the swallow get a coconut from Jamaica to England?

Re:

[the-gneech.livejournal.com]

British Airways, obviously! -TG