Full Idea
The sentence 'How now brown cow?' has its use in elocutions classes, yet this aspect of its use tells us nothing about its meaning.
Gist of Idea
'How now brown cow?' is used for elocution, but this says nothing about its meaning
Source
David E. Cooper (Philosophy and the Nature of Language [1973], §2.4)
Book Reference
Cooper,David E.: 'Philosophy and the Nature of Language' [Longman 1979], p.40
A Reaction
Indeed, and also there are weird sentence of which we can assemble a meaning, but cannot think of any conceivable use ('rats swim in purple marmalade').