[Lexicog] Measure words

[David Tuggy]

There is a book entitled "An Exaltation of Larks" that deals with these
English terms in a very entertaining fashion. It has been (for
centuries) a game played by some people to invent new ones. One of my
favorites (from Ron Langacker) is "a felony of cats"...

--David Tuggy

John Roberts wrote:

> They can also be called "group terms" or "collections". Many are not
> commonly used in English any more. Where would you find information on
> the
> following collocations?
>
> a bench of bishops
> a bench of magistrates
> a baren of mules
> a bevy of ladies
> a bevy of quails
> a brood of chickens
> a brood of vipers
> a cast of hawks
> a cete of badgers
> a clowder of cats
> a covey of grouse
> a covey of actors
> a down of hares
> a drove of cattle
> a fall of woodcock
> a gaggle of geese
> a batch of bread
> a chest of drawers
> a clutch of eggs
> a kindle of kittens
> a leap of leopards
> a nide of pheasants
> a punnet of strawberries
> a rope of pearls
> a set of tools
> a sheaf of arrows
> a sheaf of papers
> a suite of furniture
> a suite of offices
> a school of whales
> a skein of wool
> a skein of geese
> a skulk of foxes
> a sloth of bears
> a smuck of jellyfish
> a stud of horses
> a troop of lions
> a truss of hay
> etc.
>
> John Roberts
>
>
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