an enthusiasm of AWAD subscribers
An earful of iPod users. -Paul Kitching (paulkitchingATripitup.com.au)
A clique of photographers. -Lydia Ross (lydiarossATaol.com)
A scourge of evangelists. -David Scroder (david.schroderATeurorscg.com.au)
A roll of tootsies. -Warren E. Wolfe (wizardATvoyager.net)
A whine of teenagers. -David Gasson (dgATiuai.org)
A cacophony of DJs. -Celeste Mulholland (dunleathATnetlab.co.za)
A barf of bulimics. -Steph Selice (redheditorATaol.com)
A sounder of politicians at pork barrel. -Tom Cradden (tomcraATsbcglobal.net)
A surfeit of spammers. -Peter Moore (petermoore1ATgmail.com)
A gargle of word enthusiasts. -Preston Cox (ragnboneATpacbell.net)
A stonish of wonders. -Alan Williams (wilbaATarach.net.au)
An overcharge of plumbers. -Murray Zangen (murrayATzedinc.com)
A bling of celebrities. -Lauren Weiner (lauren_weinerATkyl.senate.gov)
A wanding of airport screeners. -Mike Edwards (thereiverATcharter.net)
A lunching of executives. -Pat Goodwin (pgoodwinATclarksvi.gannett.com)
A blather of bloggers. -Scott S. Zacher (scottzATnorthwestern.edu)
A conjugation of grammarians. -Eric Marsh (ericmarshAThotmail.com)
A contingent of understudies. -Ben Yudkin (ben_yudkinATonetel.com)
A flight of runaway brides. -Michelle Geissbuhler (goathillATcolumbus.rr.com)
A covey of highly effective people. -Esther Krieger (estikriegerATjuno.com)
A pride of expectant fathers. -Pat Hutley (pat.hutleyATt-online.de)
A lot of used car salesmen. -Owen Mahoney (omahoney1ATcogeco.ca)
A pinch of shoplifters. -Jim Vander Woude (jvanderwoudeATmacatawa.com)
A stupor of television viewers. -Rabbi Vander Cecil (rabbiATaataa.org)
A screech of American Idol contestants. -Dick Timberlake (rhtimberlakeATadelphia.net)
A tax dodge of gin palaces. -Kate Page (kate.pageATconnexmelbourne.com.au)
An enthusiasm of AWAD subscribers. -Eleanor Jackson (elejATmindspring.com)
isn't that awfully interesting and FUNNY? *beams happily* (would you consider that a tautology?) more reasons to suscribe to Wordsmith.org! i wonder what the gp department will have to say if any of that were to be incorporated in essays... o_O
this makes good food for thought too. reminds me somewhat of the confusing (language gulfs?) chat with richardway.
From: Mike Pope (mike.popeATmicrosoft.com)
Subject: collective nouns
One thing that strikes me about these collective nouns for animals is the extent to which they anthropomorphize their subjects -- a skulk of foxes, a murder of crows, etc. Animals are just going about their business as best they can; they do not (as far as we know) consciously violate our precepts of moral behavior. Yet we judge their behavior by our own standards ... :-)
anyway, the quote that came along with this issue (178):
No one means all he says, and yet very few say all they mean, for words are slippery and thought is viscous.
-Henry Brooks Adams, historian (1838-1918)
il me faut me coucher. yikes!
A clique of photographers. -Lydia Ross (lydiarossATaol.com)
A scourge of evangelists. -David Scroder (david.schroderATeurorscg.com.au)
A roll of tootsies. -Warren E. Wolfe (wizardATvoyager.net)
A whine of teenagers. -David Gasson (dgATiuai.org)
A cacophony of DJs. -Celeste Mulholland (dunleathATnetlab.co.za)
A barf of bulimics. -Steph Selice (redheditorATaol.com)
A sounder of politicians at pork barrel. -Tom Cradden (tomcraATsbcglobal.net)
A surfeit of spammers. -Peter Moore (petermoore1ATgmail.com)
A gargle of word enthusiasts. -Preston Cox (ragnboneATpacbell.net)
A stonish of wonders. -Alan Williams (wilbaATarach.net.au)
An overcharge of plumbers. -Murray Zangen (murrayATzedinc.com)
A bling of celebrities. -Lauren Weiner (lauren_weinerATkyl.senate.gov)
A wanding of airport screeners. -Mike Edwards (thereiverATcharter.net)
A lunching of executives. -Pat Goodwin (pgoodwinATclarksvi.gannett.com)
A blather of bloggers. -Scott S. Zacher (scottzATnorthwestern.edu)
A conjugation of grammarians. -Eric Marsh (ericmarshAThotmail.com)
A contingent of understudies. -Ben Yudkin (ben_yudkinATonetel.com)
A flight of runaway brides. -Michelle Geissbuhler (goathillATcolumbus.rr.com)
A covey of highly effective people. -Esther Krieger (estikriegerATjuno.com)
A pride of expectant fathers. -Pat Hutley (pat.hutleyATt-online.de)
A lot of used car salesmen. -Owen Mahoney (omahoney1ATcogeco.ca)
A pinch of shoplifters. -Jim Vander Woude (jvanderwoudeATmacatawa.com)
A stupor of television viewers. -Rabbi Vander Cecil (rabbiATaataa.org)
A screech of American Idol contestants. -Dick Timberlake (rhtimberlakeATadelphia.net)
A tax dodge of gin palaces. -Kate Page (kate.pageATconnexmelbourne.com.au)
An enthusiasm of AWAD subscribers. -Eleanor Jackson (elejATmindspring.com)
isn't that awfully interesting and FUNNY? *beams happily* (would you consider that a tautology?) more reasons to suscribe to Wordsmith.org! i wonder what the gp department will have to say if any of that were to be incorporated in essays... o_O
this makes good food for thought too. reminds me somewhat of the confusing (language gulfs?) chat with richardway.
From: Mike Pope (mike.popeATmicrosoft.com)
Subject: collective nouns
One thing that strikes me about these collective nouns for animals is the extent to which they anthropomorphize their subjects -- a skulk of foxes, a murder of crows, etc. Animals are just going about their business as best they can; they do not (as far as we know) consciously violate our precepts of moral behavior. Yet we judge their behavior by our own standards ... :-)
anyway, the quote that came along with this issue (178):
No one means all he says, and yet very few say all they mean, for words are slippery and thought is viscous.
-Henry Brooks Adams, historian (1838-1918)
il me faut me coucher. yikes!