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Sentence #349900

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 human600 human600 January 18, 2010 January 18, 2010 at 8:12:00 AM UTC link Permalink

This is an old joke that tries to illustrate why it is so difficult to create artificial intelligence that can understand natural human language. The key thing is that "flies" and "like" have two entirely different meanings.

In the first clause, "flies" comes from the verb "to fly" and is the present tense, and "like" means "the same as".

In the second clause, "flies" comes from the noun "fly" meaning an insect, and "like" comes from the verb "to like", similar to "to love" but weaker.

I'm sure that it will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to convey this pun in any other language.

 jakov jakov November 25, 2010 November 25, 2010 at 5:12:02 PM UTC link Permalink

This should be tagged "ambiguous meanings" or similar, and "pun" or similar.

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ambiguous quote insane by Groucho Marx humorous
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Sentence text

License: CC BY 2.0 FR

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This sentence is original and was not derived from translation.

Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.

added by human600, January 18, 2010
➜ #449301Les mouches temporelles aiment une flèche ; les mouches à fruit aiment une banane.

linked by Scott, August 2, 2010
➜ #449302Les mouches du temps aiment une flèche ; les drosophiles aiment une banane.

linked by Scott, August 2, 2010
➜ #495453Le temps vole comme une flèche ; les drosophiles aiment une banane.

linked by adjusting, September 2, 2010
➜ #529106El tiempo vuela como una flecha; la fruta vuela como una banana.

linked by Shishir, September 23, 2010
➜ #635311Zeitfliegen mögen einen Pfeil; Fruchtfliegen mögen eine Banane.

linked by jakov, November 25, 2010
➜ #635322Die Zeit fliegt wie ein Pfeil; Fruchtfliegen mögen eine Banane.

linked by jakov, November 25, 2010
➜ #635324Die Zeit fliegt wie ein Pfeil; eine Frucht fliegt wie eine Banane.

linked by jakov, November 25, 2010
➜ #635327Il tempo vola come una freccia; alle drosofile piace una banana.

linked by Guybrush88, November 25, 2010
➜ #636200La tempo flugas kiel sago; frukto flugas kiel banano.

linked by jakov, November 26, 2010
➜ #636207La tempo flugas kiel sago; bananmuŝoj ŝatas bananon.

linked by jakov, November 26, 2010
➜ #636208La tempo flugas kiel sago; drozofiloj ŝatas bananon.

linked by jakov, November 26, 2010
➜ #636210Tempomuŝoj ŝatas sagon; bananmuŝoj ŝatas bananon.

linked by jakov, November 26, 2010
➜ #636211Tempomuŝoj ŝatas sagon; frukto flugas kiel banano.

linked by jakov, November 26, 2010
➜ #640489Le temps vole comme une flèche ; un fruit vole comme une banane.

linked by Pharamp, January 4, 2011
➜ #698535Il tempo vola come una freccia; la frutta vola come una banana.

linked by Pharamp, January 4, 2011
➜ #710911El tiempo vuela como una flecha; a las moscas de la fruta les gustan los plátanos.

linked by Shishir, January 14, 2011
➜ #710913A las moscas del tiempo les gustan las flechas, a las moscas de la fruta les gustan los plátanos.

linked by Shishir, January 14, 2011
➜ #749943Le temps file comme une flèche ; un fruit s'effiloche comme une banane.

linked by Erwan29200, February 10, 2011
➜ #771922光陰飛逝如箭; 果蠅喜歡香蕉。

linked by Martha, February 26, 2011
➜ #788552Die Zeit vergeht im Fluge; der Maulwurf vergeht im Pfluge.

linked by Hans_Adler, March 11, 2011
➜ #788554Auf Erden sehen wir die Zeit fliegen; auf Bananen sehen wir die Fruchtfliegen.

linked by Hans_Adler, March 11, 2011
➜ #794749Время летит как стрела; фрукт летит как банан.

linked by Wadimiy, March 16, 2011
➜ #814288Времето лети като стрела; плодовете летят като банан.

linked by ednorog, March 27, 2011
➜ #1599618Die Zeiten fliegen wie ein Pfeil, die Fruchtfliegen zur Banane.

linked by Pfirsichbaeumchen, May 31, 2012
➜ #2222544Manidina toy ny tsipika ny fotoana.

linked by elsifaka, February 14, 2013
➜ #2222545

linked by elsifaka, February 14, 2013
➜ #2222554

linked by an unknown member, February 14, 2013
➜ #2222557

linked by an unknown member, February 14, 2013
➜ #2222558

linked by an unknown member, February 14, 2013
➜ #643469Час летить як стріла; фрукт летить як банан.

linked by shanghainese, June 16, 2013
➜ #2222545

unlinked by mraz, March 17, 2016
➜ #7901819O tempo voa como uma flecha; as moscas-das-frutas gostam de banana.

linked by piterkeo, May 11, 2019
➜ #7901820O tempo voa como uma flecha; a fruta voa como uma banana.

linked by piterkeo, May 11, 2019
➜ #7901821Moscas-do-tempo gostam de flecha; moscas-das-frutas gostam de banana.

linked by piterkeo, May 11, 2019
➜ #8697777光陰飛似箭，水果飛似蕉。

linked by shou, April 21, 2020
➜ #8697785tenpo li tawa waso sama ijo tawa. pipi li pona tawa sama e kili.

linked by shou, April 21, 2020
➜ #8697786tenpo li tawa waso sama ijo tawa. kili li tawa waso sama kili palisa.

linked by shou, April 21, 2020
➜ #878183El temps vola com una fletxa; la fruita vola com una banana.

linked by Balamax, April 21, 2020
➜ #2222544Manidina toy ny tsipika ny fotoana.

unlinked by Vortarulo, September 13, 2022
➜ #12362219Временные мухи любят стрелу; плодовые мухи любят банан.

linked by Ooneykcall, March 8, 2024
➜ #12411611Aika lentää kuin nuoli; banaanikärpäset pitävät banaanista.

linked by ondo, April 12, 2024