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From:wsmith@wordsmith.org
To:linguaphile@wordsmith.org
Subject:A.Word.A.Day--buffalo
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Date:Mon, 27 Nov 2000 16:01:00 -0800 (PST)

buffalo (BUF-uh-lo) noun, plural buffalo or buffaloes or buffalos

1. Any of several oxlike Old World mammals of the family Bovidae, such
as the water buffalo and Cape buffalo. The North American bison,
Bison bison.

2. The buffalo fish.

verb tr.

1. To intimidate, as by a display of confidence or authority.

2. To deceive; hoodwink.

3. To confuse; bewilder.

[Italian bufalo, or Portuguese, or Spanish bufalo, from Late Latin bufalus,
from Latin bubalus, from Greek boubalos.]

"Moe Howard (Paul Ben-Victor), the supposed brains of the act, is easily
buffaloed by studio bosses."
Terry Kelleher, Picks & Pans: Tube, People, Apr 24, 2000.

This week's theme: animal words that are used figuratively.

............................................................................
Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads. -Henry David Thoreau,
naturalist and author (1817-1862)

Q: Some time ago you featured a quote about foo in AWAD. Could you resend it?
A: You may search the archives at http://wordsmith.org/awad/search.html
or browse them at http://wordsmith.org/awad/archives.html All the
words and quotes since the beginning of AWAD are available there.

Pronunciation:
http://wordsmith.org/words/buffalo.wav
http://wordsmith.org/words/buffalo.ram