posted 2007/10/19 at 14:53
Don Cherry died. No, not the Donald S. "Grapes" Cherry of my beloved Hockey Night in Canada, but a jazz trumpeter of the same first and last name. Yeah, I got nothing else today, so let's just get to the friday5.org Friday Five, especially since this week's edition came with special instructions ...
As you know, one of the bizarre traditions of the English language involves creative, appropriate collective names for groups of animals. Thus, we have a “pride” of lions, a “murder” of crows, and a “creep” of tortoises. We heard some time ago that this originated as a parlor game to pass the time for those land-rich people who never had to work, as portrayed in all those Jane Austen books. Whatever the origin, we ask you to play the game with us as we look at our own lives!
Um ... okay ...
1. What would be a good collective name for your family, as in "A _____ of Joneses?"
A commune of Shannons and Cloetes, since we're basically like a commune here, only with lots of electronics and no compost heap.
2. What would be a good collective name for your closest group of friends?
A void of emptiness. I have no friends. I walk alone.
3. What would be a good collective name for the stuff in your desk?
That's another zero-set since my desk has no actual drawers, save the keyboard drawer. I do have a small set of plastic drawers that I keep both my writing/office supplies as well as a few keepsakes in, though, so let's just call that a collection of useful items and miniature mementos.
4. What would be a good collective name for your next-door neighbors?
The last time I talked to one of my next-door neighbours has to have been over five years ago. The less said about them the better, so no answer here.
5. What would be a good collective name for the people in your line of work, as in "A _____ of accountants?"
A menagerie of eccentrics, particularly those of us in the English Department.
copyright © 2008 Sean Shannon