An Exhaltation of Larks

I've been working at Entertainment Weekly this week, and they have a wonderful library of all things lexicographic. The sweetest and most fascinating book I've discovered thus far is An Exaltation of Larks by James Lipton. This book has gathered all of the collective nouns used to describe congregations of any stripe you can imagine, called "terms of venery." (A noun that means both the art of hunting and of pursuing sexual pleasure. Also means the act of intercourse and the hunted game itself.)

Here are a few of my favorites (birds seem to have the best):


A Passel of Brats

A Tissue of Lies

An Unkindness of Ravens

A Murder of Crows

A True Love of Turtledoves

A Cowardice of Curs

A Stud of Mares

A Sloth of Bears

A Singular of Boars (my Chinese zodiac sign)

A Mutation of Thrushes

A Charm of Finches (the Gold variety of which is Iowa's state bird)

Probably more to come....