lenten journal: words that say together

As I, like many have mourned the death of James Lipton, who hosted Inside the Actors’ Studio, I learned he wrote a book, An Exaltation of Larks, which is a “lovingly curated ode to the unique collective nouns that adorn our language.” As a way to honor him, and because I, too, love collective nouns--words that describe what it means to be together--here is a list--not all of which are official:

a bloat of hippos (you knew I'd start there) a crash of rhinos a leap of leopards a tuxedo of penguins a shrewdness of apes a sleuth of bears a scurry of chipmunks a tenacity of schnauzers a committee of vultures a knot of toads an ambush of tigers a prickle of porcupines a cupboard of pandas a romp of otters a mischief of mice a horde of hamsters an aurora of polar bears a bellowing of bullfinches a blessing of unicorns a bob of seals a yap of chihuahuas a slide of slugs a stench of skunks a pint of mussels a passel of possums a delay of sloths a fan of peacocks a leash of greyhounds a scourge of mosquitos an annoyance of gnats a hover of trout a flamboyance of flamingos a percussion of woodpeckers a wiggle of worms a charm of hummingbirds a business of ferrets a laugh of hyenas a tusk of walruses a bark of dogfish a shock of eels a congregation of alligators

Then I thought of a few I would like to see:

an embarrassment of politicians an assignment of teachers a chord of musicians a fret of guitarists a litany of ministers a recipe of chefs an stress of parents a jubilation of children

Feel free to add your own.

Peace,
Milton