Collective Noun for Writers
Collective terms for groups of animals include many that are amusing or plain ridiculous. I have cherry-picked some of my favourites, most of which originate from 15th century lists of ‘proper terms’, notably that in the Book of St Albans attributed to Dame Juliana Barnes (1486). Many of these are fanciful or humorous terms which probably never had any real currency, but have been taken up by Joseph Strutt in Sports and Pastimes of England (1801) and by other antiquarian writers.
a shrewdness of apes
a congress or flange of baboons
a sloth or sleuth of bears
a bike of bees
a glaring of cats
a destruction of wild cats
a peep of chickens (that one’s for Whisks)
a clattering of choughs
a covert of coots
a murder of crows
a cowardice of curs
a piteousness of doves
a peddling of ducks
a business of ferrets
a skulk of foxes
a wedge of geese
a trip of goats
a whoop of gorillas
a siege of herons
a kindle of kittens
a desert of lapwing
an exaltation of larks
a leap of leopards
a tiding of magpies
a richesse of martens
a labour of moles
a barren of mules
an unkindness of ravens
a bevy of roe deer
a parliament of rooks
a murmuration of starlings
a knob of waterfowl
a grind of bottle-nosed whales
There are also a few terms for groups of humans:
a blush of boys
a bevy of ladies
a flourish of strumpets
a gaggle of women
Here’s an ancient joke on the subject: Four scholars at Oxford were making their way down the street, and happened to see a group of ladies of the evening. “What’s this?” said the first. “A jam of tarts?” “Nay,” said the second, “an essay of Trollope’s.” “Rather, a flourish of strumpets,” advanced the third. “No, gentlemen,” concluded the last. “Here we have an anthology of pros.”
But my absolute favourites relate to professions:
a drunkship of cobblers
an expense of consultants
a hastiness of cooks
a stalk of foresters
a tedium of golfers
an observance of hermits
an eloquence of lawyers
an addition of mathematicians
a clutch of car mechanics
a faith of merchants
a superfluity of nuns
a malapertness (= impertinence) of pedlars
an intrigue of politicians
a pity of prisoners
a glozing (= fawning) of taverners
Intrinsically notable in its absence is a collective term for writers. I know of no better forum than this to lay down the challenge to come up with an appropriate term. Or, for that matter, an inappropriate one. The only requirement for any of the collective terms becoming officially recognised by the OED is that they are widely acknowledged and used.
I also welcome and encourage below any previously recognised collective terms that amuse you and any new ones that you would like to offer.
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32 Comments
A scribble of writers.
A sheath of writers?
A disctionary of writers?
A library of writers?
A musing of (humorous) writers?
A mystery of (crime fiction) writers?
A shock of (horror) writers?
An imagination of (science-fiction) writers?
A th'ammer (thor's hammer) of (myth) writers?
A hoarde of (fantasy) writers?
A smut of (porn) writers?
A frustration of (first-time) writers?
OK... bored now.
Ez
Why does "flange" make me giggle?
I like Ez's 'a musing of writers'.
A clatter of writers.
An impenetrability of publishers.
A discouragement of critics.
An inappropriateness of cover artists.
An oversensitivity of authors.
How about: a muttering of bus drivers.
Or, more positively,
a contrafibularity of writers?
Wrathy, I'd prefer a complaint of bus drivers.
A wiggle of trolley dollys
A sulk of teenagers
:-)
A rustle of readers.
Had a damn good laugh with these today - cheers for all your contributions.
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