Sentences made of the same word

A sentence that begins and ends with the same word – such as “Nice to see you; to see you nice!”– is called an epanadiplosis, according to Haggard Hawks, one of Twitter’s best word-mavens. So I asked for 10 more.

1. “Vanity of vanities, says the preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.” Ecclesiastes 1:2. From James of Nazareth, who also nominated “Hope that is seen is not hope” (Romans 8:24). 

2. “Nation shall speak peace unto nation.” Motto of the BBC, dating from its founding in 1927. Thanks to John Peters. 

3. “The king is dead: long live the king.” Steven Fogel. 

4. “Yes because he never did a thing like that before … and his heart was going like mad and yes I said yes I will Yes.” The final sentence of Ulysses, James Joyce, 121 pages long. Nominated by Jim. 

5. “Infamy, infamy, they’ve all got it infamy.” Kenneth Williams as Julius Caesar in Carry On Cleo, 1964. Thanks to Phil Riley and Stewart Lambie.  

6. “One for all, and all for one.” The Three Musketeers, Alexandre Dumas, 1844. Often inverted as “All for one and one for all”, which also works. Nominated by Craig Nicholson, Darren Sugg and Lynda Bearne. 

7. “Events, dear boy, events.” Attributed to Harold Macmillan. Thanks to Dickon Fethers. 

8. “Mankind must put an end to war – or war will put an end to mankind.” John F Kennedy, 1961. From Chris Jones. 

9. “Brexit means Brexit.” Theresa May. Nominated by Jack Blanchard. 

10. “Nothing? Nothing will come of nothing.” King Lear; another nomination from Jim. There are a few in Shakespeare. Nicole Galvin also nominated “Fair is foul and foul is fair” (Macbeth). 

Not quite making the cut: “Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose.” Line from a poem by Gertrude Stein, 1913, usually used (including by Stein herself) with an extra “A” at the beginning. “Next time there won’t be a next time.” Phil Leotardo in The Sopranos. Also attributed to Eminem. Thanks to Graham Kirby and Steven Fogel, but it begins and ends with the same phrase rather than word. Hamish McRae, my colleague, recently quoted Warren Buffett as saying that investors should be “fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful”, as Steven Fogel reminded me, but that’s not a complete sentence. 

Finally, James Dinsdale nominated “I’m Henery the Eighth, I Am”, a British music hall ditty from the 1910s that bizarrely became the fastest-selling single in US chart history in 1965 when re-recorded by Herman’s Hermits. It’s “I’m” and “I am” but James pleads that it knocked The Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” off the top of the Billboard 100. 

Next week: Shocking falsehoods in historical dramas, inspired by the fuss over The Crown. 

Coming soon: Inspired by 24 hours of clips of Christopher Plummer not actually singing “Edelweiss”, things people are remembered for that they didn’t actually do (excluding things they didn’t actually say).

Your suggestions please, and ideas for future Top 10s, to me on Twitter, or by email to top10@independent.co.uk

Background

I recently stumbled across the following grammatically correct sentence:

Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.

This sentence relies on the fact that the word buffalo could be multiple things, and that each of these is used as a different part of speech, namely:

• A city in New York (used as a noun adjunct).
• The American Bison (used as a noun).
• A verb meaning to intimidate of confuse.

The sentence roughly translates to: «Bison from Buffalo, which other bison from Buffalo intimidate, intimidate bison from Buffalo.»

There’s also a Wikipedia article for this sentence, which explains things more in depth than I do here. On a side note, it has my new favorite title for a Wikipedia article.

Challenge

With that background, the goal of this question is to create a sentence made up of the most different homonyms of the same word. This is not a challenge to find the longest sentence consisting of one word. The «buffalo» sentence above has eight words, but only uses three definitions. And, as Deusovi pointed out on this somewhat similar question, a sentence using just the word buffalo could be made arbitrarily large.

I know this changes the scope of the original question, but hopefully previous answers can still be used to help form new answers.

Notes

While the buffalo sentence is nice in that all words used in it are spelled the same way, I will allow a mix of singular and plural variations of the word. I would also like a link or formal definition for each different use of the word, to ensure that each use is in fact an actual, even if narrow, use.

Synonymy relates to the topic of semantics, which concerns the study of meaning in language. The term synonymy originates from the Greek words sún and onoma, which mean with and name.

The first sentence uses awful to describe the weather and the second uses terrible. Although both sentences use different words, they have the same meaning: bad. In other words, awful and terrible are synonyms of bad.

To test whether two words are synonyms (or synonymous), we can use a substitution method: if one word can be replaced by another without changing the meaning/sense of the sentence, the two words are synonyms. The opposite of synonymy is antonymy. Synonymy can be found across all parts of speech: in nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, etc.

Let’s put the synonyms into a sentence and use the substitution method:

1a. You have a big house.

1b. You have a large house.

By substituting big with large, we can keep the sentence’s meaning (the description of the house) in a similar degree/sense as the original sentence.

2a. He had a difficult decision to make.

2b. He had a hard decision to make.

The same as before, the substitution of difficult with hard does not change the sentence’s meaning (the description of the decision).

Synonymy in literature

Instead of repeating the word one kind, Lee chooses its synonym: alike, to relay a similar meaning to ‘very similar’. The same thing happens in the case of stayed shut up in the house and stay inside. Using synonymy, Lee enriches the prose by avoiding repetition while keeping the meaning similar in both cases.

Wake is a synonym of watch. Here, wake means ‘to stay awake to watch or tend’ (Oxford English Dictionary). Notice the slightly richer sense of see in watch compared to wake, yet the two words carry a similar meaning. By adopting synonymy, Shakespeare enhances the quality of the words he uses.

Absolute synonyms

With absolute synonyms, the meaning and function of the synonymous words are exactly the same. If you have a pair of absolutely synonymous words, you can substitute the words in every possible context (semantic, grammatical, sociolinguistic, etc.) with its synonym. This condition is very rare because, usually, two words that refer to the same meaning/object can’t co-exist. An example of an absolute synonym is airport and aerodrome. The former is what we commonly use nowadays, whereas the latter is an old-fashioned word.

Partial synonyms

Partial synonyms, on the other hand, occur when words have very closely related meanings. The meanings are not exactly the same, only partially, but close enough to relay the same message. Partial synonyms can differ in their collocation, register, and regional/social variation.

Have a look at these examples of partial synonyms:

1. We have a big problem.	Although gigantic is synonymous with big, the word combination of gigantic problem (1c) doesn’t sound natural. This is what’s called a collocation (a pairing of words with a high level of frequency).
a. We have a large problem.
b. We have a huge problem.
c. We have a gigantic problem.

2a. The tickets can only be bought online.	Generally, buy and purchase mean ‘to obtain something by paying money for it’ (Oxford Learner’s Dictionary). However, the two words differ in their register. Buy is considered a general term, whereas purchase is often used in a more formal context.
2 B. The tickets can only be purchased online.

3a. It’s been a very chilly autumn this year.	Both autumn and fall mean ‘the season of the year between summer and winter.’ But, autumn is Commonly used in British English, while fall is used in American English. They differ in regional/social variety.
3b. It’s been a very chilly fall this year.

Important to note: Homonym is a broader term for homophone (words that sound the same but have different meanings) and homograph (words that are spelt the same but have different meanings). Synonyms have similar meanings but homonyms have different meanings.

Even though the word wing is replaced with extension, we still get the same information about ‘a new section of the hospital is currently being constructed and it is for the maternity department’. The meaning of extension isn’t exactly the same as wing , but similar.

The same explanation can also be found here. We still get the same information about where my room is: on the west side of the building.

Polysemy — multiple meanings: wing — animal parts for flying & a section of a building.

The meaning of wing in this sentence refers to ‘a section of building’ and not ‘animal parts for flying’.

Synonymy vs. Polysemy

• In synonymy, you can substitute a word with its similar meaning and the sense/meaning of the sentence doesn’t change. A is similar to B .
• Synonyms are usually used as a means of avoiding word repetition. However, be careful of the slightly different meanings of synonymous words. Always be mindful of the context and valency of the sentence.
• Polysemy isn’t about word substitution. Because a single polysemic word has many meanings (A means B and C) , it can cause ambiguity. It is often used for wordplay or for creating “hidden” meanings.

TEST
YOUR VOCABULARY 3

56. Same
word, different meaning

In each pair of
sentences below, the missing word is the same but the meaning is different. What
are the missing words?

1	___change_____	Let’s go out tonight for a ______. I’m fed up with cooking. Have you got any ______? I’ve only got a £10 note.
2	____________	My brother can’t stand the sight of blood. It always makes him ______. Her voice on the phone was so ______ that I could hardly hear it.
3	____________	She doesn’t have a ______ account. She keeps her money under the mattress. We saw him sitting on the river ______ fishing.
4	____________	I can’t ______ that man. He really gets on my nerves. We saw a ______ in the forest when we were camping in California.
5	____________	You have to ______ three egg whites to make this pudding. Argentina ______ Germany 2-0 in the final.
6	____________	I don’t have to wear a ______ to work. I just go in jeans and a T-shirt. She bent down to ______ up her shoelace.
7	____________	She had a cold and the ______ of her nose was red. The waiter was really helpful so we gave him a big ______.
8	____________	She wants curtains that will ______ her carpet. It was the most exciting football ______ I’ve ever seen.
9	____________	Use a first-class ______ if you want the letter to arrive by tomorrow. Everyone began to ______ their feet in time to the music.
10	____________	I’m tired. I think I’ll go and ______ down for a while. I didn’t say that! That’s a ______!
11	____________	I need to go to the gym every day to try to get into ______ again. A rugby ball is a different ______ from a football.
12	____________	She dropped my favourite china vase and it ______. I’ve just spent all my money on a new sound system. I am now completely ______.
13	____________	I parked my car on a double yellow line and I got a £30 ______. I heard the weather forecast and apparently it’s going to be ______today.
14	____________	One, three, five and seven are odd numbers. Two, four six and eight are ______. I’m not going out ______ if it stops raining. I’m too cold and tired.
15	____________	I have absolutely no ______ in politics. I like art, music and literature. You can get about 6% ______ in this savings account.
16	____________	She’s good teacher because she’s very ______. Doctor Fernandez has received another card from a grateful ______.

Answer key

• #1

Hello friends,

I need your help with the following problem.
There are three sentences, with a gap in each of them.
I need to find the one single word (and only one) which can fill all the three gaps and fit properly.

1. I’m sure Maria will ………. for the beach as soon as she’ll be unpacked.

2. How do you think Frizt will …….. each month, with his new job ?

3. He’s achieving great results, I’m sure the management will ……. him sales manager next year.

I couldn’t find anything better than «head», but I’m pretty sure it’s wrong.
A guy who was at the exam with me tried «drive», which is also wrong.
Any suggestions ?

Ciao
Claudio

• #2

Hi Claudio,

Is there a word missing from the second sentence?

• #3

Cloudy-aw said:

Hello friends,

1. I’m sure Maria will ………. for the beach as soon as she’ll be unpacked.

Can future tense be after as soon as?
If my memories serve me right, my teacher said never.

• #4

You’re right, Erik. It should read:

1. I’m sure Maria will …….. for the beach as soon as she’s [she has] unpacked.

• #5

Hi Claudio,

I can’t find a word that does all three, but I have to say, sentences 1 and 2 sound wrong regardless. «as soon as she’ll be unpacked» is ungrammatical, like you said, and «each month, with his new job ?» seems to have a misplaced comma, and at first glance «with» is incorrect too. «In» would work better, as long as the missing word doesn’t change the structure. Mind you, my observation still doesn’t help much! Sorry!

• #6

I think the missing word for all three is «make»:

…she’ll make for the beach

How much will Fritz make each month

…management will make him sales manager…

• #7

Cloudy-aw said:

Hello friends,

I need your help with the following problem.
There are three sentences, with a gap in each of them.
I need to find the one single word (and only one) which can fill all the three gaps and fit properly.

1. I’m sure Maria will ………. for the beach as soon as

she’ll be

she has unpacked.

2. How do you think Frizt will …….. each month, with his new job ?

3. He’s achieving great results, I’m sure the management will ……. him sales manager next year.

I couldn’t find anything better than «head», but I’m pretty sure it’s wrong.
A guy who was at the exam with me tried «drive», which is also wrong.
Any suggestions ?

Ciao
Claudio

Hello Claudio,

The obvious answer, to me, is «make». But, as La Grive says, there seems to be something missing in the second sentence. That would need the addition of «out» — «How do you think Fritz will make out each month . . . ?»

Regards,
LRV

• #8

Cloudy-aw said:

1. I’m sure Maria will MAKE for the beach as soon as she HAS unpacked.

2. How MUCH do you think Frizt will MAKE each month, with his new job ?

3. He’s achieving great results, I’m sure the management will MAKE him sales manager next year.

Claudio

Omitted words and other errors MAKE this difficult to correct!

• #9

Thank you for your kind and prompt replies.

At the exam I couldn’t take note of the sentences, therefore I obviously stuffed them with errors when I tried (with the only help of my memory) to type them in the first post of this thread.

Anyway you all agree that the word is «make».
I have another question : is «make for the beach» a bit colloquial ? I ask because I have never seen such a form. Is it BE ? Or AE ?

Ciao and thank you again
Claudio

• #10

In BE I say «head for the beach».

Regards,
LRV

• #11

I agree with Joelline. Even without the mistakes, it is very difficult. I´d guess that «make for» is both BE and AE, though I´ll let the Americams speak for themselves. It´s certainly BE, though a bit unusual, perhaps more written than spoken?

• #12

In AE I have heard and understand «make for the beach,» although its not the primary way of saying it. We usually say «head to the beach» or «go to the beach.» I am sure there are other but thats all I can think of at the moment.

• #13

Let me offer sincere sympathy and suggest that you reserve the right to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. This is cruel and unusual punishment, not a legitimate examination in the use of English.

I’ll accept that it is possible to use make in each of these sentences. But I stress possible and assert that it is unnatural.

• #14

These are questions that come out in FCE, CAE and CPE.

Here are my attempts:

1. head

2. fare

3. name

• #15

Ooops, Cracker Jack,

Go back and read the nasty directions again. That was our problem: you had to use the 1 word (the same word) in all 3 sentences!

It is for this reason that the Europeans here will be appealing to the European Court of Human Rights, and the Americans will be appealing to the Supreme Court! This was, indeed, cruel and unusual punishment!

Best,
Joelline

• #16

If the second sentence is «How much do you think he will make each month, with his new job?», is «make» the correct word then?

• #17

Hi coconut palm,

Yes, and that’s what I changed it to in post #8.

Joelline

• #18

Oh, I’m sorry that I didn’t notice the quote!
I promise I will pay more attention next time!
Thank you, Joelline, for confirming my assumption!

• #19

Joelline said:

Ooops, Cracker Jack,

Go back and read the nasty directions again. That was our problem: you had to use the 1 word (the same word) in all 3 sentences!

It is for this reason that the Europeans here will be appealing to the European Court of Human Rights, and the Americans will be appealing to the Supreme Court! This was, indeed, cruel and unusual punishment!

Best,
Joelline

Oh gee!!! Thanks for reminding me Joelline. That was very careless of me. Well, you have all the right to deplore those bastard-examiners. Not just cruel and usual. It is stupid. Go ahead.

• #20

«Make for» meaning to go to, or head in the direction of, is not
used with any frequency in AE. It’s found quite a bit in 19th and early 20th century writing, but has fallen out of favor in recent decades.

• #21

cuchuflete said:

«Make for» meaning to go to, or head in the direction of, is not
used with any frequency in AE. It’s found quite a bit in 19th and early 20th century writing, but has fallen out of favor in recent decades.

Except for occasional appearances, one of them being the written part of the CPE exam I tried last week…
I agree with Cracker Jack’s opinion, although my view is not so mild.

Ciao
Claudio

• #22

My understanding is that Cambridge questions are tested and a sufficient number of ‘guinea pigs’ must have answered the question for it to have been shown to help in grading candidates’ English ability.

I don’t feel «make for the beach» is so unusual.

• #23

It’s not unusual if you’re reciting dialogue in a WW II movie about the beaches at Normandy! Otherwise, when is the last time you said it or heard someone say it?