| Collective nouns | |
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+3ChristinaASJ BeeJay HelenWest 7 posters |
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HelenWest
Posts : 388 Join date : 2013-01-13 Age : 62 Location : USA
| Subject: Collective nouns Mon Oct 14, 2013 7:43 pm | |
| I was laughing my way through James Lipton's wonderful book An Exaltation of Larks about real and invented collection nouns - you know - special words for a group of something in particular. Like a pride of lions or a pod of whales or a flock of sheep. I came across a saunter of cowboys, one of Lipton's less inspired inventions, and a trace of bounty hunters - also not the greatest. And a draw of partners works only for lawyers. I much prefer a titillation of strippers or a rash of dermatologists. So let's see what we can do for outlaws, cowboys, bounty hunters, gunmen, safe crackers, sheriffs, card players, bar tenders, saloon girls, etc. What about a skeedaddle of outlaws gone straight? I'm sure you can do much, much better. Go to it, writers! HW | |
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BeeJay Admin
Posts : 581 Join date : 2012-04-21 Location : California
| Subject: Re: Collective nouns Mon Oct 14, 2013 7:51 pm | |
| a flush of card players _________________ I read part of it all the way through. Samuel Goldwyn | |
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BeeJay Admin
Posts : 581 Join date : 2012-04-21 Location : California
| Subject: Re: Collective nouns Mon Oct 14, 2013 7:52 pm | |
| an explosion of safe crackers _________________ I read part of it all the way through. Samuel Goldwyn | |
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BeeJay Admin
Posts : 581 Join date : 2012-04-21 Location : California
| Subject: Re: Collective nouns Mon Oct 14, 2013 7:52 pm | |
| a herd of cowboys _________________ I read part of it all the way through. Samuel Goldwyn | |
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BeeJay Admin
Posts : 581 Join date : 2012-04-21 Location : California
| Subject: Re: Collective nouns Mon Oct 14, 2013 7:55 pm | |
| a barrel of bartenders I think mine are getting worse as I go along! _________________ I read part of it all the way through. Samuel Goldwyn | |
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BeeJay Admin
Posts : 581 Join date : 2012-04-21 Location : California
| Subject: Re: Collective nouns Mon Oct 14, 2013 8:05 pm | |
| a galaxy of sheriffs you know: 'cause of the stars. I told you they were getting worse _________________ I read part of it all the way through. Samuel Goldwyn
Last edited by BeeJay on Mon Oct 14, 2013 8:16 pm; edited 1 time in total | |
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BeeJay Admin
Posts : 581 Join date : 2012-04-21 Location : California
| Subject: Re: Collective nouns Mon Oct 14, 2013 8:12 pm | |
| I'm getting to like trace of bounty hunters. That's a tough one. all I can come up with is a cornucopia of bounty hunters. _________________ I read part of it all the way through. Samuel Goldwyn | |
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BeeJay Admin
Posts : 581 Join date : 2012-04-21 Location : California
| Subject: Re: Collective nouns Mon Oct 14, 2013 8:13 pm | |
| a blast of gunmen
course that would work for safe crackers too _________________ I read part of it all the way through. Samuel Goldwyn | |
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BeeJay Admin
Posts : 581 Join date : 2012-04-21 Location : California
| Subject: Re: Collective nouns Mon Oct 14, 2013 8:15 pm | |
| a tipple of saloon girls or bar tenders or whatever I think I need a drink _________________ I read part of it all the way through. Samuel Goldwyn | |
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HelenWest
Posts : 388 Join date : 2013-01-13 Age : 62 Location : USA
| Subject: Re: Collective nouns Mon Oct 14, 2013 8:37 pm | |
| What about a creative explosion of BeeJays? Those are wonderful!
Or a high noon of gunfighters? Only two at a time, of course. Or a lasso of trick ropers? Or a crouch of tumbler manipulators? Not that you're likely to meet up with more than one at once, except maybe in prison. HW | |
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BeeJay Admin
Posts : 581 Join date : 2012-04-21 Location : California
| Subject: Re: Collective nouns Mon Oct 14, 2013 8:46 pm | |
| Those are great Helen. I like the high noon one much! But all are clever.
I was trying to think of something for all the ones you listed, but couldn't think of one for outlaws. Luckily you did.
The best I could come up with:
an infield of outlaws
I'll sleep on it. Maybe I'll get one tomorrow! _________________ I read part of it all the way through. Samuel Goldwyn | |
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HelenWest
Posts : 388 Join date : 2013-01-13 Age : 62 Location : USA
| Subject: Re: Collective nouns Mon Oct 14, 2013 9:12 pm | |
| Of course, there's already the real one for outlaws - gang. But we ought to be able to come up with something special for our kind before they went straight. I keep thinking of what Heyes said about the Devil's Hole guys - after his time, of course, "They're good men. . . Well, they're men, anyway." HW | |
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ChristinaASJ
Posts : 44 Join date : 2012-04-22
| Subject: Re: Collective nouns Mon Oct 14, 2013 11:02 pm | |
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Calico
Posts : 873 Join date : 2012-04-22 Age : 59 Location : Birmingham
| Subject: Re: Collective nouns Tue Oct 15, 2013 1:38 am | |
| A sheaf of wheats? A gloop of kyles?
For Huggins: A refreshment of plots
A montage of Montys
A deepness of dimples
A shrewdness of apes Heyes
A shabbiness of hats
For fanfic... A convenience of villains A plausibility of plots
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Maz
Posts : 441 Join date : 2012-04-22 Age : 62 Location : London, England
| Subject: Re: Collective nouns Tue Oct 15, 2013 2:34 pm | |
| A twirl of gunslingers A shoot of gunfighters A catch of outlaws A chase of outlaws A handful of Heyes A poppadum of Currys:D _________________ Obstacles are put in our way to see if we really want something or only thought we did: Edison
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HelenWest
Posts : 388 Join date : 2013-01-13 Age : 62 Location : USA
| Subject: Re: Collective nouns Sun Oct 20, 2013 5:33 pm | |
| I've been enjoying all those fun ideas, everybody! The image of multiple Kyles at once . . . And I love the twirl of gunslingers. HW | |
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BeeJay Admin
Posts : 581 Join date : 2012-04-21 Location : California
| Subject: Re: Collective nouns Sun Oct 20, 2013 9:15 pm | |
| Wow, I love outrage of outlaws.
Calico's made me laugh, of course. A sheaf of wheats. LOL A gloop of Kyles, indeed. And this one is very good: For Huggins: A refreshment of plots
I agree that a twirl of gunfighters is excellent. And a shoot of gunfighters. Very clever.
But what is a poppadum? _________________ I read part of it all the way through. Samuel Goldwyn | |
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Calico
Posts : 873 Join date : 2012-04-22 Age : 59 Location : Birmingham
| Subject: Re: Collective nouns Mon Oct 21, 2013 12:12 am | |
| What is a poppadom??
WHAT IS A POPPADOM ??
Reels at the fresh evidence we are separated by a common language...
It's the big extremely flat fried bread with which you shovel first chopped onions and tomatoes smothered in mango chutney into your mouth, and then use as a scoop to inhale your Friday night curry.
They are placed piled high in middle of you and your friends - so depending on how much wine has been taken eating them is either an exercise in 'after you' politesse, or something reminiscent of hungry hippos.
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Ghislaine Emrys Moderator
Posts : 669 Join date : 2012-04-22 Age : 39 Location : Arizona
| Subject: Re: Collective nouns Mon Oct 21, 2013 3:50 am | |
| - Calico wrote:
- What is a poppadom??
WHAT IS A POPPADOM ??
Reels at the fresh evidence we are separated by a common language...
Well, technically, pappadum (usual spelling in the US) isn't an English word... Perhaps a more, er, genteel description would be that they are the thin wafer-life crackers made from lentil flour that most if not all Indian restaurants serve as free appetizers. They are delicious! (says I, who just ate some on Saturday after seeing Ben--the other one!--in The Fifth Estate.) | |
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Ghislaine Emrys Moderator
Posts : 669 Join date : 2012-04-22 Age : 39 Location : Arizona
| Subject: Re: Collective nouns Mon Oct 21, 2013 3:53 am | |
| These phrases are terrific! I have wracked my brain and can only come up with this: A collection of fanfic writers.
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BeeJay Admin
Posts : 581 Join date : 2012-04-21 Location : California
| Subject: Re: Collective nouns Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:59 am | |
| - Ghislaine Emrys wrote:
These phrases are terrific! I have wracked my brain and can only come up with this: A collection of fanfic writers. You mean an" ASJ Collection?" Thanks for the definition Calico and Ghislaine. Obviously I don't eat Indian food all that often. We had a great Indian restaurant close by a few years back but I never learned what anything was called. The owner would often wait on the tables, and if you said you wanted a particular dish, he would say, no, you don't want that, you want this instead, and bring you something entirely different. Come to think of it, when someone else was waiter or waitress, the owner still came by and changed your order. It was quite an adventure, but the result was there was never any incentive to read the menu or learn the names of anything. One day the kitchen caught on fire, and, oh well... _________________ I read part of it all the way through. Samuel Goldwyn | |
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Ghislaine Emrys Moderator
Posts : 669 Join date : 2012-04-22 Age : 39 Location : Arizona
| Subject: Re: Collective nouns Mon Oct 21, 2013 6:05 pm | |
| Great story, BJ! And I like your modification for fanfic writers.
I tried to come up with some more possibilities: * a hustle of conmen (that one's for Calico!) * a portal of lockpicks * a bank of bar spreaders or an opening of bar spreaders * a prestidigitation of saddlebags or a conjuring of saddlebags * a horseful of Henry's liveries * an absolution of pardons | |
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HelenWest
Posts : 388 Join date : 2013-01-13 Age : 62 Location : USA
| Subject: Re: Collective nouns Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:17 pm | |
| Well, I guess you learn something every day. A poppadum was new to me, too. I love a hustle of conmen. I've never been sure how our boys came to know so many of them and to have them be so loyal and helpful. Somebody must have written about that at some point. What about an Embrace of tied up outlaws - as in the picture for this page. HW | |
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BeeJay Admin
Posts : 581 Join date : 2012-04-21 Location : California
| Subject: Re: Collective nouns Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:52 pm | |
| hahaha very clever, Ghislaine My favorite: * a prestidigitation of saddlebags or a conjuring of saddlebags _________________ I read part of it all the way through. Samuel Goldwyn | |
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HelenWest
Posts : 388 Join date : 2013-01-13 Age : 62 Location : USA
| Subject: Re: Collective nouns Tue Oct 22, 2013 8:02 pm | |
| Oh, those magic saddlebags. What DO they have in there? A miraculousness of unwrinkled suits? An impossibility of uncrushed hats? A presto-chango of instant disguises? A how'd-they-do-that of instantly printed checks with their aliases on them? HW | |
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