Collective Names
A cast of actors
A panel of experts
A class of students
A coven of witches
A flock of birds
A library of books
A batch of bread
A clutch of eggs
A deck of cards
An embarrassment of riches
I could go on all day, but then you would not have a chance to add your own efforts. I can’t wait to see what Magpie comes up with.
Geri Atric said,
September 27, 2009 at 9:27 am
A gaggle of geese
A pride of lions
A bevy of bloggers (?!)
Hello Grannyma, it’s been a while. I’ve been away - but did pop in here while you were having your op’ to read the updates.
I’m so glad your operation went well and you are back to your usual chipper self!
Take care xx
Nick said,
September 27, 2009 at 10:18 am
Surely a bevy of tea ladies?
Grannymar said,
September 27, 2009 at 10:25 am
Geri - Thank you. It is good to be pain free and back on my feet once more. Did you see ‘Breakfast’ on Friday?
Nick - I think it would work.
Rhyleysgranny said,
September 27, 2009 at 10:46 am
A shelf of Librarians
A shortage of dwarfs
A clutch of mechanics
A magnum of hit-men
A brace of orthodontists
A pinch of shoplifters
Magpie11 said,
September 27, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Hang on while I look out my copy of New First Aid in English//;-)
Here in NE London (greater) our House Sparrow numbers have plummeted and their place seem to have been taken by a Charm of Goldfinches.
This is one of the joys of living here. However a lesser joy is that Attitude of Youths/adolescents that hangs around at the top of the road every evening.
It is many years since I have sighted a Murmuration of Starlings around here but we do tend to have more than a Murder of Crows from time to time. In fact they made the local news a while back when one Murder managed to murder heron.
http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/4389580.WALTHAM_FOREST__Fears_over__killer__crows/
This is not as unusual as the reporter seems to think….crows (and
other birds) have always mobbed other , predatory, birds.
You know GM, you should not issue challenges like that. Mind you I had already half though about the Goldfinches.I have to say that their song is much more melodic than that of the good old House Sparrow.
Magpie11 said,
September 27, 2009 at 12:54 pm
Prostitutes:
A group of Professors of English Language was in bar and observed group of professional ladies and came up with the following:
A jam of tarts
A flourish of strumpets
An anthology of English pros
Rumuuser said,
September 27, 2009 at 3:53 pm
A blob of bloggers
A tank of boozers
A shore of bankers
A reel of dancers
A spool of spinners
Nancy said,
September 27, 2009 at 3:56 pm
Along the lines of Magpie’s clever observations, I,too, saw two Professors of English Literature sitting on wicker chairs at the nudist colony and one said to the other,” Have you read Marx?” To which the other replied,’Yes, I think it’s the chairs.”
Now about the collective descriptions, I should like to add:
A break of wind
A pile of Proctologists
A nucleus of Physicists
A rash of dermatologists
A scoop of Journalists
And last, but not least:
A Diet of Worms…….
Ian said,
September 27, 2009 at 4:06 pm
Some of the real terms are even odder than ones you could make up - like an unkindness of ravens.
How on earth did ‘unkindness’ become a collective noun?
Alice said,
September 27, 2009 at 4:41 pm
a covey of quail
(that’s so boring after all those that preceded me, but there you are! sometimes that’s just the way it is.)
Geri Atric said,
September 27, 2009 at 5:58 pm
I had not seen ‘Breakfast’ GM., but have just scrolled down and watched it now.
It is a real treat to see you looking so healthy and standing unaided!
That’s an interesting breakfast too - talk about going ‘nuts’! I’ll have to try it sometime - but without the muesli. Muesli makes me cough! Have never tried softening it in orange juice though. Perhaps that works better than milk.
Stay healthy and pain free GM., good luck to you!
bikehikebabe said,
September 27, 2009 at 6:03 pm
a universe of astronomers
a commune of complainers
a building of housewives (my category)
a bed of sleepers
All the good ones were taken.
gaelikaa said,
September 27, 2009 at 6:27 pm
A shower of idiots! A Clareman I used to work with in Dublin used this one time and time again!
Grannymar said,
September 27, 2009 at 7:04 pm
Rhyleysgranny - I love your humour!
Magpie - That word took you to the spam bucket!
Ramana - ‘A spool of spinners’ I think I would like that club.
Nancy - ‘A rash of dermatologists’ seem like a spotty lot.
Ian - It is absurd.
Alice - At least you added one.
Geri - I had a friend who had a constant mucus problem, I suggested the juice instead of milk and it really helped him.
BHB - I know plenty who are suitable for a commune of complainers!
Gaelikaa - Trust a Clareman, I can say that as my father came from that county.
Baino said,
September 27, 2009 at 9:09 pm
Haha . . too early for me to be smart but the ’shower of idiots’ has been cleaned up a little . . .
Grannymar said,
September 27, 2009 at 9:15 pm
Baino - I think they were well showered!
Ian said,
September 27, 2009 at 9:37 pm
The term for crows is a ‘parliament’. Now, that I can understand!
Grannymar said,
September 27, 2009 at 10:12 pm
Ian - When you listen to Today in Parliament, it is easy to understand why.
Darlene said,
September 27, 2009 at 11:23 pm
Okay , mine are mundane but here goes:
A bunch of grapes
A barrel of monkeys
A lot of nonsense.
A slew of rodents
A school of fish
A pack of dogs
A litter of kittens
Have I repeated any?
Grannymar said,
September 28, 2009 at 10:19 am
Darlene , I never heard of A slew of rodents before, it sounds good.
Grannymar said,
September 28, 2009 at 11:30 am
Magpie, I discovered you lurking in my spam folder again. You need to behave yourself… well for a day at least!
Magpie11 said,
September 28, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Um…which word sent the first thing to the spam box? murder?
BTW A parliament of owls…
Being a magpie i researched the British Corvids….
A conspiracy of ravens
An unkindness of ravens
A constable of ravens
A tidings of magpies (rather like that)
A building of rooks
A train of jackdaws
A clattering of choughs
A clattering of jackdaws
A band of jays
A party of jays
A scold of jays
I’ve just discovered that there was a list of collective nouns in a book of 1480 …The Boke of St Albans…
Grannymar said,
September 28, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Magpie, I would never guess you were a bird fancier!
Darlene said,
September 28, 2009 at 3:57 pm
I never heard of a slew of rodents, either, Grannymar, but slew sounded like slay and that’s what I would do with them.
Magpie11 said,
September 28, 2009 at 5:37 pm
Oh ! Tweet of you!
Grannymar said,
September 28, 2009 at 6:45 pm
Darlene - I agree.
Magpie - Tweet tweet!
Maria said,
September 29, 2009 at 3:27 am
i don’t think I saw a kindle of kittens. It is one of my favorites.
Brighid said,
September 29, 2009 at 4:08 am
a convocation of Eagles
a confusion of guinea fowl
Grannymar said,
September 29, 2009 at 11:40 am
Maria - I never heard of it either.
Brighid - ‘A confusion of guinea fowl’ - Is that why they make so much noise?