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#97311 03/02/03 01:01 AM
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wwh Offline
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Animals - Some Collective Nouns. By popular request... ... A
generation of vipers; A grist of bees; A gulp of cormorants/magpies; A harras of horses; ...
www.collectivenoun.com/


#97312 03/02/03 01:03 AM
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though this is a recent yart, this was a good list, Bill, thanks!

my favorite:

a flock of lice.


hahahahaha



formerly known as etaoin...
#97313 03/02/03 01:12 AM
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wwh Offline
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Lice = a seethe of mechanized dandruff, a pick of nits


#97314 03/02/03 01:24 AM
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A pick of nits?

Is that seriously the collective noun for nits Dr. Bill!!!?


#97315 03/02/03 02:18 AM
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W-O'N, not many of those collective nouns are serious -- most of them come from an olde parlor game.


#97316 03/02/03 02:31 AM
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Dear WO'N, if you don't like "pick" how'd you like a "lick"? From a two year old post,
with name of poster carefully omitted:

You are right, wwh, the British upper crust amused themselves with creating witty collective nouns,
mostly for animals subject to the hunt. They are thus called terms of venery. Some of my favorites
include, a parliament of owls, a murder of crows, and a crash of rhinos. There is a wonderful book, an
Exhaltation of Larks, which compiles many collective nouns. I'll check the author's name when I get
home.

Leaving out most of the story -> I once wrote a letter to a radio station discussing collective nouns,
and suggesting one for chocolate penises. If you ever hear the term, a lick of chocolate penises,
you'll know from whence it came.


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