Word to the wise
Why is a group of crows called a ‘murder’? How do you describe a gathering of foxes? Our columnist explores the origins of collective nouns
by SUSIE DENT
On the face of it, the two words ‘collective noun’ are unlikely to get anyone’s pulse racing.
Like many terms in my job, their cold exterior can be a little off-putting. Dig a little deeper, though, and the magic begins. I’ve discovered there are few areas of language that get people going quite as much as whether the correct group name for politicians is a posse or an odium, or whether penguins really do come in waddles. And that’s just for starters.