A Murmuration of Starlings
Dear Readers, as we come out of the National Lockdown and go straight into a different kind of lockdown here in the UK, I have been thinking about the collective nouns for animals – a flock of sheep or a herd of deer or an idiocy of unmasked tube travellers for example. So this week your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to match the collective noun to the photo of the animal. Simples! All the nouns that I’ve chosen come from at least two verified sources, but they might not always be the one in most common usage.As usual, all answers in the comments by 5 p.m. UK on Thursday if you want to be marked, but feel free to play along anyway. If you feel you might be influenced by speedy people who have already commented, write your answers down first!
So, if you think that a group of the first animal is called an exultation, your answer is 1) A.
Good luck!
A) An Exultation
B) A Skulk
C) A Convocation
D) An Unkindness
E) A Clattering
F) A Congregation
G) A Piteousness
H) A Business
I) A Charm
J) A Cete
K) A Sounder
L) A Caravan
M) A Herd
N) An Obstinacy
O) A Clowder
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
13)
14)
15)
1F; 2J;3K;4N;5L;6O;7E;8M;9G;10C;11A;12H;13B;14I;15D
You had me scratching my head for a particular one – very sneaky of you!
A, 11
B, 13
C, 10
D, 15
E, 7
F, 1
G, 9
H, 12
I, 14
J, 2
K, 3
L, 5
M, 8
N, 4
O, 6
I’m afraid I’ve had to guess quite a lot of these, so I’m not very hopeful this week…
1E, 2J, 3N, 4M, 5L, 6O, 7H, 8K, 9G, 10C, 11A, 12D, 13B, 14I, 15F.
1F, 2J, 3K, 4N, 5L, 6O, 7E, 8M, 9G, 10C, 11A, 12H, 13B, 14I, 15D.
This was a lot of fun! (But also tricky…)