Monday, August 31, 2009

People Will Think We are from MENSA

Do you know what a "collective noun" is? According to Wikipedia (which I use sparingly), a collective noun is a word used to define a group of objects, where "objects" can be people, animals, emotions, inanimate things, concepts, or other things.

And so, because I know how much you all love to learn. And because it is Monday and I have a boat load of things to do including going to Tri-County Knitters this evening. And just because I can. I give you a big list of "collective nouns". Go forth and use them today and people will look at you like you are a MENSA candidate...... or like you have a screw loose.

An army of ants
A flutter of butterflies
A murder of crows
A clowder of cats
A parade of elephants
A knot of frogs
A bloat of hippos
A mess of iguanas (that just seems appropriate because Iguanas seem to be messy)
A smack of jellyfish
a mob of kangaroos
A quiver of cobras
A scourge of mosquitoes
A watch of nightingales
A parliament of owls
A wake of buzzards
A covey of quail
A crash of rhinos
A walk of snails
A bale of turtles
A bed of urchins
An exhalation of larks
A nest of vipers
A herd of yaks

No dogs. She didn't mention dogs. Life is hard. Can I have a treat?


5 comments:

  1. A parliament of owls! How utterly proper! Favorite though is a bloat of hippos. I mean, of course!!
    And yes, give that doggy a treat. He's so beautiful. Is that Maxwell?
    Elle

    ReplyDelete
  2. That is my ever hopefully Maxie boy.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Since my last name is Crow, I'm well aware of that one, let me tell you.

    ReplyDelete
  4. LOVE this list! I'm teaching nouns to the 7th graders right now, actually, and collective nouns fit right in. I'll use it! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh, I love this list. Now. Might I also have one that tells what the young is called for each animal. You know: cat - kitten fox - kit, etc. We write a book every Mother's Day and I always need that information. You know, since you're all MENSA and stuff.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you SOOO much for commenting. We bloggers, of which I am such a minnow in such a big pond, live for our comments.