By Maki
Have you ever stopped to ponder the peculiarities of language? From the inventive to the downright bizarre, collective nouns never fail to add a dash of flavour and colour to our conversations. Let's take a dive into the linguistic menagerie, shall we?
First up, we have "The Shoals of Herring". Picture this: a shimmering expanse of silver darting through the ocean depths, herring are so social that the collective noun for our scaly friends seems to fit them better than most. My personal preference however is for a brace of kippers.
Next, we soar into the avian realm with "A Murder of Birds" and "A Murder of Crows”. Now, before you start dialling the police, let's clarify: no actual foul play is involved. It's just a poetic (albeit slightly ominous) way to describe a flock of feathered friends. Who knew our feathered companions had such a dark side?
But hold onto your hats, because things are about to get spooky with "A Plague of Zombies”. Yes, you read that right. While traditionally associated with the undead, apparently, zombies also have a collective noun. Who knew the walking dead were so organised?
Now, let's gather 'round for a bit of congregation—twice, in fact. Whether it's a group of worshippers or a gathering of like-minded individuals, "congregation" evokes a sense of community and togetherness. So, let's raise a toast to the power of coming together, whether it's in prayer or over a cup of coffee.
Speaking of coming together, let's head on down to Brazil for a moment and talk about “Vaquejada", which refers to a herd of cattle. Ah, Brazil—the land of samba, soccer, and, apparently, wonderfully unique collective nouns. Who knew rounding up cattle could sound so elegant?
But let's not forget about our Zulu friends, who gift us with “Izinyoni", meaning a flock of birds. Isn't it fascinating how languages from around the world capture the essence of nature in such beautiful ways? It's enough to make you want to spread your wings and join the flock!
Returning to the realm of the eerie, we find ourselves scrambling to get out of a Pit of Snakes. Just the thought of a pit filled with slithering serpents is enough to send shivers down the spine. Thankfully, most of us will never have deal with this, unless it’s figuratively, of course!
And finally, we wrap up our linguistic adventure with the timeless wisdom of "Birds of a Feather”. Whether you're a night owl or an early bird, there's comfort in knowing that somewhere out there, there are others just like you. After all, life's more fun when you're surrounded by kindred spirits.
From herring to zombies, and everything in between, these linguistic gems add a touch of magic to our everyday conversations. So the next time you're out and about, keep an ear out for these delightful terms—you never know when they might come fluttering by!
Animals and Other Assemblages A-List Playlist:
Ewan MacColl – The Shoals of Herring
Jesca Hoop – Murder of Birds
Cadaver Club – Murder of Crows
Scientist – Plague of Zombies
Low – Congregation
Foo Fighters – Congregation
Quinteto Violado – Vaquejada
The Mahotella Queens – Izinyoni
Burning Spear – Pit of Snakes
Killing Joke – Birds of a Feather
Bevy of Bands B-List Playlist:
The Stranglers – Toiler on the Sea
Hildegard Knef – Too Bad
GoGo Penguin – Murmuration
The Housemartrins – Sheep
Martin Green – Mess of Crows
Eek-A-Mouse – Posse
CW McCall – Convoy
Green Pajamas – A Murder of Crows
Mau Maus – Running with the Pack
Honningbarna – Borgerskapets Utakknemlige Sønner
Guru’s Wildcard Pick:
Jauría is the Spanish collective noun for a pack of hunting dogs.
Jauría – La Jauría
These playlists were inspired by readers' song nominations in response to last week's topic: Group wisdom? Songs using colourful collective nouns. The next topic will launch on Thursday after 1pm UK time.
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