Words & Stuff

I'm pretty sure that I already knew that the Western Gorilla has the taxonomic name Gorilla gorilla (genus + species).

But I don't think I knew until now that the Western Lowland Gorilla has the taxonomic name Gorilla gorilla gorilla (genus + species + subspecies). (Also known as G. g. gorilla.)

I'm sure that to scientists, this is a perfectly ordinary name. But I'm tickled by it.

And it makes me think that Buffalo buffalo buffalo ought to be the taxonomic name for the Midwestern Lowland Buffalo.

(See also Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo in Wikipedia.)

And perhaps Badger badger badger ought to be some kind of taxonomic name as well.

Note that in Badger, MN, they allow badgers to create and provide badges, so those are Badger badger badgers; I hear that Badger badger badgers Badger badger badgers badger badger Badger badger badgers.

Now I want to start putting together sentences like "Buffalo buffalo Gorilla gorilla gorilla buffalo buffalo Gorilla gorilla gorilla."

Or maybe "Gorilla gorilla gorilla Buffalo buffalo buffalo badger Badger badger badgers."

(I'm assuming that Gorilla gorilla gorilla can be used as a plural, which may be grammatically dubious but makes for funnier sentences.)