collective nouns for animals - an extensive list

[occam]

I found this article that has gone to great lengths to list and
extensive list of collective nouns for animals.

Your mission, should you accept it, is to add to the list. (10 points
for each authenticated addition.)

https://www.colleenpatrickgoudreau.com/a-gaggle-of-geese-a-pride-o
f-lions-a-school-of-fish-and-more-collective-animal-nouns-2/

---
COLLECTIVE NOUNS FOR ANIMALS
An ambush of tigers
An array of hedgehogs
An army of ants/caterpillars/frogs
An ascension of larks
A badling of ducks
A bale of turtles
A ballet of swans
A band of coyotes/gorillas/jays/men
A barrel of monkeys
A barren of mules
A bask of crocodiles
A battery of barracudas
A bazaar of guillemots
A bed of clams/eels/oysters/snakes
A bevy of quail/roebucks/swans
A bloat of hippos
A bouquet of pheasants
A brace of ducks/grouse
A brood of chicks/hens/pheasants
A building of rooks
A bury of conies/rabbits
A business of ferrets/flies
A caravan of camels
A cast of falcons/hawks
A cete of badgers
A chain of bobolinks
A charm of falcons/finches/magpies
A chattering of choughs
A clamor of rooks
A cloud of gnats/bats/grasshoppers
A clowder of cats
A cluster of bees/grasshoppers
A clutch of chicks
A clutter of cats/starlings
A colony of ants/beavers/gulls/penguins/rabbits
A company of parrots/widgeons
A congregation of plover/people
A congress of baboons
A conspiracy of ravens
A convocation of eagles
A cover of coots
A covey of grouse/partridges/pheasants/ptarmigans/quail
A cowardice of curs
A crash of rhinos
A crowd of people
A cry of hounds
A culture of bacteria
A deceit of lapwings
A descent of woodpeckers
A dissimulation of birds
A dole of doves
A down of hares
A doylt of swine
A draught of fish
A dray of squirrels
A drift of swine
A dropping of pigeons
A drove of cattle
A drumming of grouse
A dule of doves
A durante of toucans
An earth of foxes
An exaltation of larks
A fall of woodcocks
A family of otter
A fesnyng of ferrets
A field of racehorses
A flight of birds/butterflies/cormorants/doves/goshawks/swallows
A flink of cows (12+)
A float of crocodiles
A flock of geese/lice/sheep
A fluther of jellyfish
A gaggle of geese
A gam of whales
A gang of buffalo/elk
A gatling of woodpeckers
A generation of vipers
A grist of bees
A gulp of cormorants/magpies
A harras of horses
A herd of buffaloes/curlews/elephants/horse/kangaroo/pigs/wrens
A hide of tigers
A hive of bees
A horde of gnats
A host of sparrows
A hover of trout
A hum of bees
A husk of hares/jackrabbits
An intrigue of kittens
An intrusion of cockroaches
A kennel of dogs
A kettle of hawks
A kindle of kittens
A kine of cows
A knot of snakes/toads
A labour of moles
A lamentation of swans
A leap of hares/leopards
A leash of foxes/greyhounds
A litter of cubs/pigs/puppies
A mask of raccoons
A mob of kangaroos/emus
A murder of crows/magpies
A murmuration of starlings
A muster of peacocks
A mustering of storks
A mutation of thrushes
A mute of hounds
An obstinacy of buffalo
An ostentation of peacocks
A muster of storks
A mute of hounds
A nest of hornets/mice/rabbits/vipers/wasps
A nye/nide of pheasants
A pace of asses
A pack of hounds/rats/wolves
A paddling of ducks
A pair of horses
A pandemonium of parrots
A parade of elephants
A parliament of owls/rooks
A party of jays
A passel/parcel of hogs
A peep of chickens
A piteousness of doves
A pitying of turtledoves
A pladge of wasps
A plague of locusts
A plump of waterfowl/wildfowl
A pod of boar/dolphin/seals/walrus/whales
A pounce of cats
A prattle of parrots
A prickle of hedgehogs/porcupines
A pride of lions
A quiver of cobras
A rafter of turkeys
A rag of colts
A ramuda of horses
A rhumba of rattlesnakes
A richness of martens
A romp of otters
A rookery of penguins
A rout of wolves
A rumpus of baboons
A run of poultry
A rush of pochard
A school of fish/porposes
A scold of jays
A sedge of cranes
A shiver of sharks
A shoal of bass/pilchards/shad
A shrewdness of apes
A siege of cranes/herons
A singular of boars
A skein of geese/pheasants
A skulk of foxes/larks/quail
A sleuth/sloth of bears
A smack/smuth of jellyfish
A sneak of weasels
A sord of mallards
A sounder of wild swine/boars/foxes
A span of mules
A spring of teal
A squabble of seagulls
A stand of flamingo
A stench of skunks
A streak of tigers
A string of ponies/horses
A stud of mares
A swarm of ants/bees/eels
A team of horses/ducks/oxen
A swarm of bees
A thunder of hippos
A tiding of magpies
A tittering of magpies
A tok of capercaillie
A totter/tower of giraffes
A tribe of goats/monkeys/dotterel
A trip of goats
A troop of baboons/monkeys/kangaroos
A turn of turtles
An ubiquity of sparrows
An unkindness of ravens
A volary of birds
A wake of buzzards/vultures
A walk of snipe
A warren of rabbits
A watch of nightingales
A wedge of geese/swans
A wing of plovers
A wisdom of owls
A wisp of snipe
A yoke of oxen

[Peter T. Daniels]

On Friday, August 11, 2017 at 5:08:07 PM UTC-4, occam wrote:
> I found this article that has gone to great lengths to list and
> extensive list of collective nouns for animals.
>
> Your mission, should you accept it, is to add to the list. (10 points
> for each authenticated addition.)
>
> https://www.colleenpatrickgoudreau.com/a-gaggle-of-geese-a-pride-o
> f-lions-a-school-of-fish-and-more-collective-animal-nouns-2/

Does it credit James Lipton, *An Exaltation of Larks*? It may or may not say so
in the book itself, but the vast majority of what he calls "terms of venery,"
he admitted in an interview decades after it was published, originated not with
the medieval manuscript he claims to cite, but as a party game. The players
were to invent appropriate collectives for various collections.

His main claim to notoriety is an interminable interview series *The Actors'
Studio*,in which actors (whom Truman Capote labeled, as a class, hopelessly
stupid) discuss their craft.

[RH Draney]

On 8/11/2017 2:08 PM, occam wrote:

> A durante of toucans

Someone's pulling someone's leg, methinks....

A few years ago, someone on the radio suggested coming up with similar
terms for plant groups as well, using "a roberta of flax" as an
example...I suggested "a swish of pansies" (which was not used on the
show) and "an um--er--uh--something of forget-me-nots" (which was)....r

[Mack A. Damia]

On Fri, 11 Aug 2017 23:08:02 +0200, occam <oc...@127.0.0.1> wrote:

>I found this article that has gone to great lengths to list and
>extensive list of collective nouns for animals.
>
>Your mission, should you accept it, is to add to the list. (10 points
>for each authenticated addition.)

Two more:

A gnash of gnats

A gnaw of gnus

[Peter Moylan]

On 12/08/17 07:08, occam wrote:

> I found this article that has gone to great lengths to list and
> extensive list of collective nouns for animals.
>
> Your mission, should you accept it, is to add to the list. (10 points
> for each authenticated addition.)

[...]

A wunch of bankers.

--
Peter Moylan http://www.pmoylan.org
Newcastle, NSW, Australia

[Lewis]

In message <omm6bi$dn9$1...@dont-email.me> Peter Moylan <pe...@pmoylan.org.invalid> wrote:
> On 12/08/17 07:08, occam wrote:

>> I found this article that has gone to great lengths to list and
>> extensive list of collective nouns for animals.
>>
>> Your mission, should you accept it, is to add to the list. (10 points
>> for each authenticated addition.)

> [...]

> A wunch of bankers.

There is a rather short list of official venereal terms, and they are all
collected in the excellent An Exaltation of Larks.

This is the official list, in it's entirety:

Venereal Terms

VENEREAL OBJECT
-------- ------
ARMY CATERPILLARS
BALE TURTLES
BAND MEN
BARREN MULES
BEVY BEAUTIES
BEVY ROEBUCKS
BOUQUET PHEASANTS
BROOD HENS
BUILDING ROOKS (BIRDS)
BUSINESS FERRETS
CAST HAWKS
CETE BADGERS
CHARM FINCHES
CLOWDER CATS
CLUTCH EGGS
COLONY ANTS
CONGREGATION PLOVERS
COVEY PARTRIDGES
COWARDICE CURS
CRASH RHINOCEROSES
CRY PLAYERS (ACTORS)
DECEIT LAPWINGS
DESCENT WOODPECKERS
DISSIMULATION BIRDS
DRAY SQUIRRELS
DRIFT HOGS
DROVE CATTLE
DULE DOVES
EXALTATION LARKS
FALL WOODCHUCKS
FLIGHT SWALLOWS
FLOCK SHEEP
GAGGLE GEESE (ON WATER)
GAM WHALES
GANG ELK
HARRAS HORSES
HERD ELEPHANTS
HOST ANGELS
HOST SPARROWS
HOVER TROUT
HUSK HARES
KINDLE KITTENS
KNOT TOADS
LABOR MOLES
LEAP LEOPARDS
LITTER PUPS
MURDER CROWS
MURMURATION STARLINGS
MUSTERING STORKS
NEST RABBITS
OSTENTATION PEACOCKS
PACE ASSES
PADDLING DUCKS (ON WATER)
PARLIAMENT OWLS
PASSEL BRATS
PEEP CHICKENS
PENCIL LINES
PITYING TURTLEDOVES
PLAGUE LOCUST
POD SEALS
PRIDE LIONS
RAFTER TURKEYS
RAG COLTS
RICHNESS MARTENS
ROUTE WOLVES
SCHOOL FISH
SIEGE HERONS
SHOAL BASS
SHREWDNESS APES
SINGULAR BOARS
SKEIN GEESE (AIRBORNE)
SKULK FOXES
SLATE CANDIDATES
SLOTH BEARS
SMACK JELLYFISH
SOUNDER SWINE
SPRING TEAL
STRING PONIES
SWARM BEES
TIDINGS MAGPIES
TRIP GOATS
TROOP KANGAROOS
UNKINDNESS RAVENS
WALK SNIPE
WATCH NIGHTINGALES


--
"I am" is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language.
Could it be that "I do" is the longest sentence?

[occam]

On 11/08/2017 23:16, Peter T. Daniels wrote:
> On Friday, August 11, 2017 at 5:08:07 PM UTC-4, occam wrote:
>> I found this article that has gone to great lengths to list and
>> extensive list of collective nouns for animals.
>>
>> Your mission, should you accept it, is to add to the list. (10 points
>> for each authenticated addition.)
>>
>> https://www.colleenpatrickgoudreau.com/a-gaggle-of-geese-a-pride-o
>> f-lions-a-school-of-fish-and-more-collective-animal-nouns-2/
>
> Does it credit James Lipton, *An Exaltation of Larks*? It may or may not say so
> in the book itself, but the vast majority of what he calls "terms of venery,"
> he admitted in an interview decades after it was published, originated not with
> the medieval manuscript he claims to cite, but as a party game. The players
> were to invent appropriate collectives for various collections.
>

Yes, one of the sources cited is Lipton's book. The other two are:

*An Unkindness of Ravens (by Chloe Rhodes )

*Boke [Book] of St. Albans

[occam]

On 12/08/2017 01:04, RH Draney wrote:
> On 8/11/2017 2:08 PM, occam wrote:
>
>> A durante of toucans
>
> Someone's pulling someone's leg, methinks...

No, the leg-pulling list is the one that follows the main list:

A CRADLE OF COWS

A LAP OF CATS

A CACOPHANY OF JAYS

A TRUST OF CHICKADEES

A HARASSMENT OF HUMMINGBIRDS

A SAGACITY OF DONKEYS

A GENIUS OF RAVENS

A BRILLIANCE OF CROWS

A GUARDIAN OF ELEPHANTS

A WONDER OF FOXES

A RUSE OF RACCOONS

A SWAGGER OF SKUNKS

A CELEBRATION OF ANIMALS

A SURVIVAL OF ANIMALS

A HARDSHIP OF ANIMALS

A SUFFERING OF ANIMALS

A HOPE OF ANIMALS

[Athel Cornish-Bowden]

On 2017-08-11 21:08:02 +0000, occam said:

> I found this article that has gone to great lengths to list and
> extensive list of collective nouns for animals.
>
> Your mission, should you accept it, is to add to the list. (10 points
> for each authenticated addition.)
>
> https://www.colleenpatrickgoudreau.com/a-gaggle-of-geese-a-pride-o
> f-lions-a-school-of-fish-and-more-collective-animal-nouns-2/
>
> ---
> COLLECTIVE NOUNS FOR ANIMALS
> An ambush of tigers

> [ ... ]

A flourish of strumpets
An anthology of pros


--
athel

[Richard Tobin]

In article <oml63p$1jn$1...@dont-email.me>, occam <oc...@127.0.0.1> wrote:
>I found this article that has gone to great lengths to list and
>extensive list of collective nouns for animals.
>
>Your mission, should you accept it, is to add to the list. (10 points
>for each authenticated addition.)

They missed "a flange of gorillas".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beCYGm1vMJ0

-- Richard

[occam]

Give this man a coconut! I note, however, that gorillas appear under the
collective noun "a band of..."

Also, see this page.
http://www.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_collective_nouns_of_gorillas

A whoop of gorillas anyone?

[Peter T. Daniels]

On Saturday, August 12, 2017 at 3:44:42 AM UTC-4, occam wrote:
> On 11/08/2017 23:16, Peter T. Daniels wrote:
> > On Friday, August 11, 2017 at 5:08:07 PM UTC-4, occam wrote:

> >> I found this article that has gone to great lengths to list and
> >> extensive list of collective nouns for animals.
> >> Your mission, should you accept it, is to add to the list. (10 points
> >> for each authenticated addition.)
> >> https://www.colleenpatrickgoudreau.com/a-gaggle-of-geese-a-pride-o
> >> f-lions-a-school-of-fish-and-more-collective-animal-nouns-2/
> > Does it credit James Lipton, *An Exaltation of Larks*? It may or may not say so
> > in the book itself, but the vast majority of what he calls "terms of venery,"
> > he admitted in an interview decades after it was published, originated not with
> > the medieval manuscript he claims to cite, but as a party game. The players
> > were to invent appropriate collectives for various collections.
>
> Yes, one of the sources cited is Lipton's book. The other two are:
>
> *An Unkindness of Ravens (by Chloe Rhodes )
>
> *Boke [Book] of St. Albans

The St. Alban's Book is what inspired Lipton to invent his game.

[Bill Day]

On Sat, 12 Aug 2017 14:40:59 +0200, occam <oc...@127.0.0.1> wrote:

>
>Also, see this page.
>http://www.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_collective_nouns_of_gorillas
>
>A whoop of gorillas anyone?

Gorillas don't woop... Gibbons whoop... (I used to wake up to Gibbons
near the National Zoo in Wash. D.C.)
--
remove nonsense for reply

[Jerry Friedman]

On 8/12/17 1:17 AM, Lewis wrote:
> In message <omm6bi$dn9$1...@dont-email.me> Peter Moylan <pe...@pmoylan.org.invalid> wrote:
>> On 12/08/17 07:08, occam wrote:
>
>>> I found this article that has gone to great lengths to list and
>>> extensive list of collective nouns for animals.
>>>
>>> Your mission, should you accept it, is to add to the list. (10 points
>>> for each authenticated addition.)
>
>> [...]
>
>> A wunch of bankers.
>
> There is a rather short list of official venereal terms, and they are all
> collected in the excellent An Exaltation of Larks.

I've seen "terms of venery", but I don't remember seeing "venereal
terms". It's not found at Google ngrams, though there are hits at
Google Books.

> This is the official list, in it's entirety:

I'm modifying it to show part of the actual list.

> Venereal Terms
>
> VENEREAL OBJECT
> -------- ------

FLOCK PHEASANTS
FLOCK ROOKS (BIRDS)
FLOCK HAWKSFLOCK PLOVERS
FLOCK PARTRIDGES
FLOCK LAPWINGS
FLOCK WOODPECKERS
FLOCK BIRDS
FLOCK LARKS
FLOCK SWALLOWS
FLOCK SHEEP
FLOCK GEESE (ON WATER)
FLOCK SPARROWS
FLOCK CROWS
FLOCK STARLINGS
FLOCK STORKS
FLOCK PEACOCKS
FLOCK DUCKS (ON WATER)
FLOCK OWLS
FLOCK TURTLEDOVES
FLOCK TURKEYS
FLOCK HERONS
FLOCK GEESE (AIRBORNE)
FLOCK TEAL
FLOCK MAGPIES
FLOCK RAVENS
FLOCK SNIPE
FLOCK NIGHTINGALES


By the way, your list left out "bevy of quail", which is real in the
sense of dating to the 15th century.

--
Jerry Friedman

[Richard Tobin]

You'll notice in the sketch Gerald corrects the professor, telling
him that it's a flange of baboons, not gorillas.

According to QI (so it must be true) some researchers have taken to
using the term "flange", but I can't find any references in Google
Scholar.

-- Richard

[Mack A. Damia]

On Fri, 11 Aug 2017 17:25:46 -0700, Mack A. Damia
<drstee...@yahoo.com> wrote:

>On Fri, 11 Aug 2017 23:08:02 +0200, occam <oc...@127.0.0.1> wrote:
>
>>I found this article that has gone to great lengths to list and
>>extensive list of collective nouns for animals.
>>
>>Your mission, should you accept it, is to add to the list. (10 points
>>for each authenticated addition.)
>
>Two more:
>
>A gnash of gnats
>
>A gnaw of gnus

A prey of pros.

[Lewis]

In message <omn5i2$sos$1...@news.albasani.net> Jerry Friedman <jerry_f...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> On 8/12/17 1:17 AM, Lewis wrote:
>> In message <omm6bi$dn9$1...@dont-email.me> Peter Moylan <pe...@pmoylan.org.invalid> wrote:
>>> On 12/08/17 07:08, occam wrote:
>>
>>>> I found this article that has gone to great lengths to list and
>>>> extensive list of collective nouns for animals.
>>>>
>>>> Your mission, should you accept it, is to add to the list. (10 points
>>>> for each authenticated addition.)
>>
>>> [...]
>>
>>> A wunch of bankers.
>>
>> There is a rather short list of official venereal terms, and they are all
>> collected in the excellent An Exaltation of Larks.

> I've seen "terms of venery", but I don't remember seeing "venereal
> terms". It's not found at Google ngrams, though there are hits at
> Google Books.

Venereal is simply the adjective of venery.

Thanks.

I don't think Flock applies to all those birds. A flock of owls? Storks?




--
You could save people. You could get there in the nick of time. And
something could snap its fingers and say, no , it has to be that way.
Let me tell you how it has to be. This is how the legend goes. --Soul
Music

[occam]

On 12/08/2017 17:29, Richard Tobin wrote:
> In article <ommsp2$c3t$4...@dont-email.me>, occam <oc...@127.0.0.1> wrote:
>> On 12/08/2017 12:00, Richard Tobin wrote:
>
>>> They missed "a flange of gorillas".
>>>
>>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beCYGm1vMJ0
>>
>> Give this man a coconut! I note, however, that gorillas appear under the
>> collective noun "a band of..."
>>
>> Also, see this page.
>> http://www.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_collective_nouns_of_gorillas
>>
>> A whoop of gorillas anyone?
>
> You'll notice in the sketch Gerald corrects the professor, telling
> him that it's a flange of baboons, not gorillas.

"Not The Nine o'clock" sketch, if I recall well?

[Jerry Friedman]

On 8/12/17 11:19 AM, Lewis wrote:
> In message <omn5i2$sos$1...@news.albasani.net> Jerry Friedman <jerry_f...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> On 8/12/17 1:17 AM, Lewis wrote:

...

>>> There is a rather short list of official venereal terms, and they are all
>>> collected in the excellent An Exaltation of Larks.
>
>> I've seen "terms of venery", but I don't remember seeing "venereal
>> terms". It's not found at Google ngrams, though there are hits at
>> Google Books.
>
> Venereal is simply the adjective of venery.

True, but "term of venery" is much more common anyway, and I think I can
guess why.

>>> This is the official list, in it's entirety:
>
>> I'm modifying it to show part of the actual list.

<snip my claim that the actual term is "flock">

> I don't think Flock applies to all those birds. A flock of owls? Storks?

"Flock of owls" does seem rather odd, maybe because they don't flock
very much. I don't see a problem with "flock of storks", though, and an
image search shows some spectacular examples.

--
Jerry Friedman

[Richard Tobin]

In article <omo3oq$n9r$1...@news.albasani.net>,

Jerry Friedman <jerry_f...@yahoo.com> wrote:

>> I don't think Flock applies to all those birds. A flock of owls? Storks?

>"Flock of owls" does seem rather odd, maybe because they don't flock
>very much.

It's a "parliament of owls".

This seems like an opportunity to remind people of Google's wildcard
search: "a * of owls".

-- RIchard

[Jerry Friedman]

"Parliament of owls" is the whimsical term of venery and was on Lewis's
list, so there was no need to search for it. I replaced his list with
mine to suggest that in actual use, from casual conversation to
ornithology, the term for a sizable group of birds is "flock". Maybe
not so much for owls? What's this a picture of?

https://bulgarianphotography.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/25-long-eared-owls-640x480.jpg

Obaue: Is a group of two birds a flock? Three? Four? Etc.?

--
Jerry Friedman

[David Kleinecke]

I would say a group of birds becomes a flock when one has
trouble counting them. That's around six or seven for me.

[CDB]

On 8/13/2017 8:20 AM, Jerry Friedman wrote:

> Richard Tobin wrote:
>> Jerry Friedman <jerry_f...@yahoo.com> wrote:

>>>> I don't think Flock applies to all those birds. A flock of
>>>> owls? Storks?

>>> "Flock of owls" does seem rather odd, maybe because they don't
>>> flock very much.

>> It's a "parliament of owls".

Jerry calls that "whimsical" below. Presumably Lewis got it from Chaucer.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parlement_of_Foules

>> This seems like an opportunity to remind people of Google's
>> wildcard search: "a * of owls".

> "Parliament of owls" is the whimsical term of venery and was on
> Lewis's list, so there was no need to search for it. I replaced his
> list with mine to suggest that in actual use, from casual
> conversation to ornithology, the term for a sizable group of birds is
> "flock". Maybe not so much for owls? What's this a picture of?

> https://bulgarianphotography.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/25-long-eared-owls-640x480.jpg
>

That looks like a conclave to me.

> Obaue: Is a group of two birds a flock? Three? Four? Etc.?

A select committee of foules.

[Dr. Jai Maharaj]

In alt.usage.english, in article
<oml63p$1jn$1...@dont-email.me>,
occam <oc...@127.0.0.1> posted:

Why mess with all that when "a buncha critters" covers
'em all?

Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti

http://bit.do/jaimaharaj

[Mack A. Damia]

I really don't give a flying flock.

[musika]

Get the flock outa here.


--
Ray
UK

[Peter Moylan]

The phrase that keeps popping into my head is "Parlement of foules".
That must certainly predate the "owls" version.

[J. J. Lodder]

occam <oc...@127.0.0.1> wrote:

> On 12/08/2017 01:04, RH Draney wrote:
> > On 8/11/2017 2:08 PM, occam wrote:
> >
> >> A durante of toucans
> >
> > Someone's pulling someone's leg, methinks...
>
> No, the leg-pulling list is the one that follows the main list:
>
> A CRADLE OF COWS
>
> A LAP OF CATS
>
> A CACOPHANY OF JAYS
>
> A TRUST OF CHICKADEES
>
> A HARASSMENT OF HUMMINGBIRDS
>
> A SAGACITY OF DONKEYS
>
> A GENIUS OF RAVENS

Well, ravens are the genius birds.
I just show another study
that shows they are as smart as chimps,
(taking action with foresight)

Jan

[Jerry Friedman]

The third one, as I recall, was "an essay of trollops".

--
Jerry Friedman

[Jerry Friedman]

This is a conclave. Or maybe a college.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/c9/f1/94/c9f194cba0306c0a2c419079494e3cbe.jpg

> > Obaue: Is a group of two birds a flock? Three? Four? Etc.?
>
> A select committee of foules.

An excessive number of fouls.

--
Jerry Friedman

[Rich Ulrich]

A disqualification of fouls.

--
Rich Ulrich

[snide...@gmail.com]

Are you getting technical?

Somewhat wider application: an ejection of players.

And waiting to go on: a bevy of benchwarmers?

/dps "or should that be splinters of"

[bill van]

In article <2330e2c1-7512-4983...@googlegroups.com>,

Definitely a butt-load of benchwarmers.
--
bill

[Tony Cooper]

A pride of pedants.

A lurking of linguists.
--
Tony Cooper - Orlando, Florida

[CDB]

On 8/14/2017 12:47 PM, Jerry Friedman wrote:
> CDB wrote:
>> Jerry Friedman wrote:

[IMO the adjective ought to be "venerial"]

>>> "Parliament of owls" is the whimsical term of venery and was on
>>> Lewis's list, so there was no need to search for it. I replaced his
>>> list with mine to suggest that in actual use, from casual
>>> conversation to ornithology, the term for a sizable group of birds is
>>> "flock". Maybe not so much for owls? What's this a picture of?

>>> https://bulgarianphotography.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/25-long-eared-owls-640x480.jpg

>> That looks like a conclave to me.

> This is a conclave. Or maybe a college.

> https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/c9/f1/94/c9f194cba0306c0a2c419079494e3cbe.jpg

Thay look like refugees. A huddled mass?

>>> Obaue: Is a group of two birds a flock? Three? Four? Etc.?

>> A select committee of foules.

> An excessive number of fouls.

A foule of fowls.

[Quinn C]

* snide...@gmail.com:

And to the side of the field, an importunity of photographers.

--
Some things are taken away from you, some you leave behind-and
some you carry with you, world without end.
-- Robert C. Wilson, Vortex (novel), p.31

[Snidely]

On Tuesday, Quinn C pointed out that ...

Afterwards, a clutch of autograph seekers.

/dps

--
"This is all very fine, but let us not be carried away be excitement,
but ask calmly, how does this person feel about in in his cooler
moments next day, with six or seven thousand feet of snow and stuff on
top of him?"
_Roughing It_, Mark Twain.

[Snidely]

bill van is guilty of
<billvan-FC4D10...@88-209-239-213.giganet.hu> as of
8/14/2017 9:03:40 PM

A metric butt-load?

/dps "hard to swallow, isn't it?"

--
There's nothing inherently wrong with Big Data. What matters, as it
does for Arnold Lund in California or Richard Rothman in Baltimore, are
the questions -- old and new, good and bad -- this newest tool lets us
ask. (R. Lerhman, CSMonitor.com)

[Dingbat]

On Saturday, August 12, 2017 at 2:38:07 AM UTC+5:30, occam wrote:
> I found this article that has gone to great lengths to list and
> extensive list of collective nouns for animals.
>
> Your mission, should you accept it, is to add to the list. (10 points
> for each authenticated addition.)
>
> https://www.colleenpatrickgoudreau.com/a-gaggle-of-geese-a-pride-o
> f-lions-a-school-of-fish-and-more-collective-animal-nouns-2/

A bask of crocodiles
A congress of salamanders
A earful of waxwings
A fall of woodchucks
A generation of vipers
A murmuration of starlings
A pod of cetaceans (dolphins or whales)
A smack of jellyfish
A venue of vultures
http://www.audubon.org/news/no-its-not-actually-murder-crows


A Murder of Crows - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Murder_of_Crows
The collective noun for a group of crows. A Murder of Crows (film), 1999 film.
A Murder of Crows, a play written in 1992 by Mac Wellman. A Murder of Crows
(album), 2003 studio album by Deadsoul Tribe. The Murder of Crows (band),
comprising Gaelynn Lea and Alan Sparhawk.

Why is a group of crows called a murder? - Quora
https://www.quora.com/Why-is-a-group-of-crows-called-a-murder
This is a great question. In the Late Middle Ages (1486), was published
The Book of Saint ... If you've ever heard dozens of agitated crows in full
cry, it really does sound as if they're yelling bloody murder.

>
> ---
> COLLECTIVE NOUNS FOR ANIMALS
> An ambush of tigers

[Athel Cornish-Bowden]

If only.


--
athel

[Athel Cornish-Bowden]

On 2017-08-14 02:18:53 +0000, Peter Moylan said:

> On 13/08/17 11:00, Richard Tobin wrote:
>> In article <omo3oq$n9r$1...@news.albasani.net>,
>> Jerry Friedman <jerry_f...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>>>> I don't think Flock applies to all those birds. A flock of owls? Storks?
>>
>>> "Flock of owls" does seem rather odd, maybe because they don't flock
>>> very much.
>>
>> It's a "parliament of owls".
>>
>> This seems like an opportunity to remind people of Google's wildcard
>> search: "a * of owls".
>
> The phrase that keeps popping into my head is "Parlement of foules".

Seriously, for a moment, does "fowl" have a plural different from the singular?

> That must certainly predate the "owls" version.


--

athel

[Peter Duncanson [BrE]]

Historically it sometimes did.

>
>> That must certainly predate the "owls" version.

--

Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.usage.english)

[bill van]

In article <mn.a04c7e18e88aaf6b.127094@snitoo>,

This one was in use during my time in newspapers: "A scrum of
reporters." From the way a group of reporters all trying to interview
the same person resembles a rugby scrum.
--
bill

[occam]

A clique of photographers, surely!

[Sam Plusnet]

If they're using SLRs, then they might be a Claque.

--
Sam Plusnet

[Tony Cooper]

Snap!

[Mack A. Damia]

On Sun, 20 Aug 2017 20:47:33 +0200, occam <oc...@127.0.0.1> wrote:

A development of photographers?

[Tony Cooper]

Are y'all trying to frame me? By exposing us?

eff stop it.

[Mack A. Damia]

Can you enlarge on that?

[occam]

Stay focused on the subject and all will be clear.

[Quinn C]

* Tony Cooper:

Do you expect us to care about your sensitivities?

--
ASCII to ASCII, DOS to DOS

[Jerry Friedman]

A certain young prelate named Fust,
When consumed by erotical lust,
Once buggered three owls,
Assorted small fowls,
And a little green lizard that bust.

A favorite of one of my college friends. Searching for "lizard that
bust" turns up versions that don't have "fowls".

--
Jerry Friedman