In a continuing effort to keep the blog interesting and diverse, to lighten up a bit from the never-ending gun and capital punishment discussions, which I personally never tire of, I want to share this fantastic article I found on Answers.com.
I didn't know you could say "a shrewdness of apes," or "a covert of coots," "a drift of hogs," or "a kindle of kittens," or "a sloth of bears," or my favorite, "a skulk of thieves."
I don't know about you, but I'm determined to begin immediately using these new vocabulary words in my political blogging.
Murder of Crows always is funny to me. Especially since they are such gentle birds.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my favorite hobbies, learning about words.
ReplyDeleteMy wife laughed at me when we moved into our new house and unloaded my books. I had 2 different books about Origins of Words and phrases and no less then 5 dictionaries.
I always thought a Pod of Whales was incongruous; such a small word for a group of large animals.
I'm with Weer'd...Murder of Crows is a great one. Parliament of Rooks is another. One story behind that, as re-told to me in a comic book by Neil Gaiman, is that the flock is called a Parliament because occasionally they will surround one bird who will squawk and hop and chatter like it is making a case for something. Or telling a joke. If they agree...they all fly off. If they disagree...they peck the lone rook to death!!!
ReplyDeleteI don't know if that actually happens, but WOW if it does!