FYI: Collective Nouns/Names (a "Babble of Hams"?)

A murder of crows in northern California

February 23, 2011  Photograph by Jamie Zarza, My Shot
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-- As Mentioned on the April 29, 2015 Wednesday AM Net -- 
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One of the craziest oddities of the English language is that there are so many different collective nouns that all mean "group" but which are specific to what particular thing there is a group of: a herd of elephants, a crowd of people, a box of crayons, a pad of paper, etc. There is great diversity of collective nouns associated with animals, from a sleuth of bears to a murder of crows. The following is a list of the correct terms to describe groups of various types of animals.

from: Fun With Words

This Friday's Insomniac-Net (05-01-2015) is asking about Collective Nouns: 
2015[18]Q -- Ins-Net Qs for May 01, 2015: "A Tidings of T-or-F Trivia"

Collective Name Animal herd of antelope army of ants colony of ants swarm of ants shrewdness of apes flange of baboons congress of baboons tribe of baboons culture of bacteria cete of badgers colony of badgers sleuth of bears sloth of bears pack of bears (polar bears) colony of beavers lodge of beavers flight of bees grist of bees hive of bees swarm of bees congregation of birds dissimulation of birds flight of birds flock of birds volery of birds sedge of bitterns siege of bitterns herd of boar singular of boar sounder of boar chain of bobolinks brace of bucks clash of bucks herd of buffalo rabble of butterflies swarm of butterflies wake of buzzards flock of camels army of caterpillars clowder of cats clutter of cats glaring of cats pounce of cats dout of cats (house cats) nuisance of cats (house cats) kendle of cats (kittens) kindle of cats (kittens) litter of cats (kittens) destruction of cats (wild cats) drove of cattle herd of cattle kine of cattle team of cattle yoke of cattle (two) herd of chamois brood of chickens flock of chickens peep of chickens brood of chicks chattering of chicks clutch of chicks cartload of chimpanzees herd of chinchillas bed of clams quiver of cobras rag of colts rake of colts bury of conies cover of coots flight of cormorants band of coyotes sedge of cranes siege of cranes congregation of crocodiles float of crocodiles storytelling of crows murder of crows herd of deer leash of deer parcel of deer bevy of deer (roe deer) kennel of dogs pack of dogs litter of dogs (puppies) pod of dolphins drove of donkeys herd of donkeys pace of donkeys trip of dotterel bevy of doves cote of doves dole of doves dule of doves flight of doves piteousness of doves flight of dragons weyr of dragons wing of dragons brace of ducks flock of ducks flush of ducks paddling of ducks raft of ducks team of ducks aerie of eagles convocation of eagles swarm of eels herd of elephants memory of elephants parade of elephants gang of elk herd of elk mob of emus business of ferrets cast of ferrets fesnyng of ferrets charm of finches catch of fish haul of fish run of fish school of fish shoal of fish swarm of flies lead of foxes leash of foxes skulk of foxes army of frogs colony of frogs knot of frogs flock of geese gaggle of geese skein of geese (in flight) wedge of geese (flying in a 'V') horde of gerbils corps of giraffes herd of giraffes tower of giraffes cloud of gnats horde of gnats swarm of gnats herd of gnus implausibility of gnus drove of goats herd of goats tribe of goats trip of goats charm of goldfinches glint of goldfish band of gorillas skein of goslings leash of greyhounds covey of grouse pack of grouse colony of gulls group of guinea pigs horde of hamsters drove of hares down of hares husk of hares leash of hares trace of hares trip of hares warren of hares aerie of hawks cast of hawks kettle of hawks array of hedgehogs prickle of hedgehogs brood of hens hedge of herons sedge of herons siege of herons shoal of herrings crash of hippopotami herd of hippopotami bloat of hippopotami drift of hogs parcel of hogs passel of hogs nest of hornets harras of horses herd of horses stable of horses team of horses troop of horses

Collective Name Animal cry of hounds mute of hounds pack of hounds charm of hummingbirds clan of hyenas band of jays party of jays scold of jays smack of jellyfish herd of kangaroos mob of kangaroos troop of kangaroos deceit of lapwings ascension of larks exaltation of larks leap of leopards leep of leopards lepe of leopards pride of lions sault of lions sowse of lions troop of lions lounge of lizards herd of llamas plague of locusts tidings of magpies sord of mallards stud of mares richness of martens horde of mice mischief of mice nest of mice company of moles labor of moles movement of moles cartload of monkeys tribe of monkeys troop of monkeys troup of monkeys herd of moose barren of mules pack of mules rake of mules span of mules watch of nightingales bevy of otter family of otter raft of otter romp of otter parliament of owls drove of oxen herd of oxen span of oxen team of oxen yoke of oxen (two) bed of oysters company of parrots covey of partridges muster of peacocks ostentation of peacocks colony of penguins crèche of penguins huddle of penguins parcel of penguins rookery of penguins nest of pheasants nide of pheasants (on the ground) nye of pheasants (on the ground) bouquet of pheasants (when flushed) flight of pigeons flock of pigeons drove of pigs herd of pigs litter of pigs farrow of pigs (piglets) sounder of pigs (wild pigs) shoal of pilchards congregation of plovers wing of plovers chine of polecats string of ponies pod of porpoises school of porpoises passel of possum coterie of prairie dogs bevy of quail covey of quail bury of rabbits colony of rabbits down of rabbits drove of rabbits husk of rabbits leash of rabbits trace of rabbits trip of rabbits warren of rabbits nest of rabbits (young) wrack of rabbits (young) gaze of raccoons nursery of raccoons colony of rats horde of rats mischief of rats pack of rats plague of rats swarm of rats rhumba of rattlesnakes storytelling of ravens unkindness of ravens crash of rhinocerouses building of rooks clamor of rooks storytelling of rooks run of salmon school of salmon shoal of salmon bob of seals colony of seals crash of seals harem of seals herd of seals pod of seals rookery of seals spring of seals team of seals school of shark shiver of shark down of sheep drove of sheep flock of sheep fold of sheep hurtle of sheep trip of sheep bed of snakes den of snakes nest of snakes pit of snakes walk of snipes wisp of snipes host of sparrows dray of squirrels scurry of squirrels murmuration of starlings muster of storks mustering of storks flight of swallows bevy of swans herd of swans wedge of swans (flying in a 'V') flock of swifts drift of swine sounder of swine spring of teals ambush of tigers streak of tigers knot of toads hover of trout flock of turkeys brood of turkeys (immature) bale of turtles generation of vipers nest of vipers colony of vultures mob of wallabees herd of walruses pod of walruses pack of weasels sneak of weasels gam of whales herd of whales pod of whales school of whales plump of wildfowl herd of wolves pack of wolves rout of wolves route of wolves warren of wombats fall of woodcocks descent of woodpeckers herd of yaks herd of zebras zeal of zebras

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Posted at 4/29/2015 10:57:00 AM

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