Collective Nouns

For decades my parents had a framed poster in their guest bathroom.  I think they got if from someplace like the old Spencer’s shops that acted as most malls’ premier crapatoriums.  It was a typewritten list of various collective nouns for animals, starting with “A Crash of Rhinoceroses” and continuing for some 30 or 40 species (“A Parliament of Owls,” anyone?).  It was the conversation piece of all conversation pieces, even if it did lead to cocktail party guests hopping up and down in the hallway waiting for the previous bathroom user to finish reading the list.

This led me, years ago, to create “An Ostentation of Peacocks,” and to every few months or so add a new one to the collection.  I am fascinated by collective nouns - especially those of animals.  There will be more of these all the time.