English as a Weird Language
Over the decades, being married to a teacher of English as a Foreign Language, I've had to search out some pretty weird stuff about our language but some of the terms on this list blew my mind!
This is a list of .....
Siege * Peep * Brood * Clattering * Covert * Herd * Sedge * Murder * Herd * Trip * Dole/dule * Flight * Badling * Raft * Dinner * Box Social * Charm * Gaggle * Skein * Flight * Rasp * Cast * Lease * Sedge * Train * Deceit * Desert * Exaltation * Tidings * Suit * Sord * Watch * Parliament * Pandemonium * Covey * Muster * Nide * Nye * Kit * Congregation * Bevy * Drift * Unkindness * Building * Parliament * Walk * Wisp * Host * Murmuration * Flight * Game * Wedge * Spring * Dole/dule * Fall * Herd
Answers on the next page
Badling = Ducks
Bevy = Quail
Box Social = Eagles
Brood = Chickens
Building = Rooks
Cast = Hawks (tame)
Charm = Goldfinches
Clattering = Choughs
Congregation = Plovers
Covert = Coots
Covey = Partridges
Deceit = Lapwings
Desert = Lapwings
Dinner = Ducks
Dissimulation = Small Birds
Dole/dule = Doves
Dole/dule = Turtle doves
Drift = Quail
Exaltation = Larks
Fall = Woodcocks
Flight = Doves
Flight = Goshawks
Flight = Swallows
Flock = Birds
Gaggle = Geese (grounded)
Game = Swans
Herd = Cranes
Herd = Curlew
Herd = Wrens
Host = Sparrows
Kit = Pigeons(flying)
Lease = Hawks (tame)
Murder = Crows
Murmuration = Starlings
Muster = Peacocks
Nide = Pheasants
Nye = Pheasants
Pandemonium = Parrots
Parliament = Owls
Parliament = Rooks
Peep = Chickens
Raft = Ducks
Rasp = Guineafowl
Sedge = Cranes
Sedge = Herons
Siege = Bitterns
Skein = Geese (flying)
Sord = Mallards
Spring = Teal
Suit = Mallards
Tidings = Magpies
Train = Jackdaws
Trip = Dotterel
Unkindness = Ravens
Walk = Snipe
Watch = Nightingales
Wedge = Swans (flying)
Wisp = Snipe
My source.
This is a list of .....
Siege * Peep * Brood * Clattering * Covert * Herd * Sedge * Murder * Herd * Trip * Dole/dule * Flight * Badling * Raft * Dinner * Box Social * Charm * Gaggle * Skein * Flight * Rasp * Cast * Lease * Sedge * Train * Deceit * Desert * Exaltation * Tidings * Suit * Sord * Watch * Parliament * Pandemonium * Covey * Muster * Nide * Nye * Kit * Congregation * Bevy * Drift * Unkindness * Building * Parliament * Walk * Wisp * Host * Murmuration * Flight * Game * Wedge * Spring * Dole/dule * Fall * Herd
Answers on the next page
Badling = Ducks
Bevy = Quail
Box Social = Eagles
Brood = Chickens
Building = Rooks
Cast = Hawks (tame)
Charm = Goldfinches
Clattering = Choughs
Congregation = Plovers
Covert = Coots
Covey = Partridges
Deceit = Lapwings
Desert = Lapwings
Dinner = Ducks
Dissimulation = Small Birds
Dole/dule = Doves
Dole/dule = Turtle doves
Drift = Quail
Exaltation = Larks
Fall = Woodcocks
Flight = Doves
Flight = Goshawks
Flight = Swallows
Flock = Birds
Gaggle = Geese (grounded)
Game = Swans
Herd = Cranes
Herd = Curlew
Herd = Wrens
Host = Sparrows
Kit = Pigeons(flying)
Lease = Hawks (tame)
Murder = Crows
Murmuration = Starlings
Muster = Peacocks
Nide = Pheasants
Nye = Pheasants
Pandemonium = Parrots
Parliament = Owls
Parliament = Rooks
Peep = Chickens
Raft = Ducks
Rasp = Guineafowl
Sedge = Cranes
Sedge = Herons
Siege = Bitterns
Skein = Geese (flying)
Sord = Mallards
Spring = Teal
Suit = Mallards
Tidings = Magpies
Train = Jackdaws
Trip = Dotterel
Unkindness = Ravens
Walk = Snipe
Watch = Nightingales
Wedge = Swans (flying)
Wisp = Snipe
My source.
Comments
My favorite group name is a "shrewdness" of apes.
Posted by Alex on 06/06/12 at 12:37 PM
The one that started this whole thing for me was an unkindness of ravens but the most fitting I found to be a pandemonium of parrots.
Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 06/06/12 at 12:49 PM
Conspiracy = Lawyers
Posted by Usenet898 on 06/06/12 at 01:05 PM
My fav is a murder of crows.
making up my own-
a weird of WUvians
a habit of nuns
a wing of nuts
:cheese:
making up my own-
a weird of WUvians
a habit of nuns
a wing of nuts
:cheese:
Posted by Patty in Ohio, USA on 06/06/12 at 09:11 PM
I'm disappointed you didn't include a Congress of Baboons.
Posted by Chris Radney on 06/06/12 at 09:53 PM
One of my students, who had difficulty sequencing speech sounds correctly, labelled a photo of a group of butterflies a "flutter-bye." I think that's quite appropriate. If you've ever been in the midst of a group of migrating butterflies you know that they do flutter by.
Posted by ScoutC on 06/06/12 at 10:02 PM
@ScoutC: I've been calling them that for decades. It started back in the 50's when it was kewl to switch syllables and sounds around.
At any rate, I agree that flutterby is way more appropriate.
Before I sign this off click here for some entomology on these terms and some more.
Edgamakatshun is a good thang!
At any rate, I agree that flutterby is way more appropriate.
Before I sign this off click here for some entomology on these terms and some more.
Edgamakatshun is a good thang!
Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 06/07/12 at 12:08 AM
Having bred Standard Schnauzers for a while, we determined it ought to be a Priss of Schnauzers.
Poor baboons.
Poor baboons.
Posted by TheCannyScot in Atlanta, GA on 06/07/12 at 12:47 AM
How about a bossyboot of corgis?
Posted by ScoutC on 06/07/12 at 08:25 PM
A puddle of poodles
A snuggle of puggles
A cube (or cooler) of bichon frieza
A snuggle of puggles
A cube (or cooler) of bichon frieza
Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 06/08/12 at 10:59 AM
Butterflies used to be called flutterbyes. Then it was switched because it was kewl (yeah they used to do the switching thing a long time ago).
Posted by Anon on 06/12/12 at 06:28 PM
No, and thank you for posting the answer because it was bugging me. Also, even though English is my primary language I was unfamiliar with most of those terms.
Posted by Courtney on 07/20/13 at 08:10 PM
In the "F" state, if you live SE of Orlando, English could NOT be your primary language so we forgive you.
If you live North of Ocala and East of Panama City then you speak Red Neck and we forgive you.
Anywhere else in the state then SHAME ON YOU!
😜
If you live North of Ocala and East of Panama City then you speak Red Neck and we forgive you.
Anywhere else in the state then SHAME ON YOU!
😜
Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 07/20/13 at 11:57 PM
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