Is a hippopotamus really a hippopotomus or just a really cool opotamus?
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Hedberg questions the etymology or structure of hippopotamus, suggesting a playful linguistic split.
- In plain terms
- He asks if a hippopotamus is just a cool opotamus.
- What can you take from it?
- Breaking words down reveals absurdity.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What words do you analyze?
- How do you view names?
Another view
The linguistic analysis is intentionally incorrect.
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