A Conversation for Ask h2g2
Make up your own collective nouns here
Sea Change Posted Sep 25, 2002
Collective nouns allow for some variation in cognition in English.
When one uses known collective nouns, like 'crowd' or 'herd' or 'pack' it's understood, but not spoken, that a crowd contains people, a herd contains some domestic four-footed animal, or the pack is full of wolves or dogs.
But, english is flexible, so you can talk of a herd of springbok or a pack of dingoes. A flock might be understood to be of flamingoes if you are in Florida and this is what you and your listener are looking at, or, if you are brainstorming, a flock of ideas might come flying in.
'Of' is a necessary marker word that cues your listener/reader that the collective noun is being qualified by another noun.
Make up your own collective nouns here
Ineffable, <Boing>-King!!! Posted Sep 25, 2002
See? That is exactly what I meant when I said
Thanx for clearing that up Sea!
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Ineffable, <Boing>-King!!! Posted Sep 25, 2002
An expanse of explanations?
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Mr. Legion Posted Sep 25, 2002
A smear of boybands
A coven of computer programmers
A sidle of stalkers
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Ineffable, <Boing>-King!!! Posted Sep 26, 2002
A hussle of procrastinators
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Sea Change Posted Sep 26, 2002
a sophistry of (philosophical) explanations
an erudition of (nerdily overwrought) explanations
a recondite of (totally gratuitous) explanations
a mishnah of doxologies
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McKay The Disorganised Posted Sep 27, 2002
A singularity of oxymorons
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Hoovooloo Posted Sep 27, 2002
A large multitude of tautologies...
H.
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Hoovooloo Posted Sep 27, 2002
Collective noun for:
Rolls of Indian restaurant wallpaper: a flock.
H.
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pheloxi | is it time to wear a hat? | Posted Sep 27, 2002
noisiness of onomatopoeia
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Ineffable, <Boing>-King!!! Posted Sep 27, 2002
a bad one here
A howl of wolves
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Ineffable, <Boing>-King!!! Posted Sep 27, 2002
a flight of trips
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BobTheFarmer Posted Sep 28, 2002
Of course there's always an 'Enry or a Janet of bud.
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the_league_against_helium (see A816996 and A823448) Posted Sep 28, 2002
i'd forgotten this one:
a coven of kettles (dylan thomas) 
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William of Middenshire, Keeper of Mammals Beginning with "W" and Goatee Beards Posted Sep 29, 2002
what about a floss of dentists?
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Sea Change Posted Sep 30, 2002
The tautology collective made me burst out loud laughing! It's a very good one!
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Ineffable, <Boing>-King!!! Posted Oct 3, 2002
A crunch of information
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William of Middenshire, Keeper of Mammals Beginning with "W" and Goatee Beards Posted Oct 4, 2002
A Rolf of painters
A peal of lemons
Not good, I know, but it has been a long week...
Key: Complain about this post
Make up your own collective nouns here
- 61: Ineffable, <Boing>-King!!! (Sep 25, 2002)
- 62: Sea Change (Sep 25, 2002)
- 63: Ineffable, <Boing>-King!!! (Sep 25, 2002)
- 64: Ineffable, <Boing>-King!!! (Sep 25, 2002)
- 65: Mr. Legion (Sep 25, 2002)
- 66: Ineffable, <Boing>-King!!! (Sep 26, 2002)
- 67: Sea Change (Sep 26, 2002)
- 68: McKay The Disorganised (Sep 27, 2002)
- 69: Hoovooloo (Sep 27, 2002)
- 70: Hoovooloo (Sep 27, 2002)
- 71: pheloxi | is it time to wear a hat? | (Sep 27, 2002)
- 72: Ineffable, <Boing>-King!!! (Sep 27, 2002)
- 73: BobTheFarmer (Sep 27, 2002)
- 74: Ineffable, <Boing>-King!!! (Sep 27, 2002)
- 75: BobTheFarmer (Sep 28, 2002)
- 76: the_league_against_helium (see A816996 and A823448) (Sep 28, 2002)
- 77: William of Middenshire, Keeper of Mammals Beginning with "W" and Goatee Beards (Sep 29, 2002)
- 78: Sea Change (Sep 30, 2002)
- 79: Ineffable, <Boing>-King!!! (Oct 3, 2002)
- 80: William of Middenshire, Keeper of Mammals Beginning with "W" and Goatee Beards (Oct 4, 2002)
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