Very possibly? Here are some of my favourites:
- A conflagration of arsonists
- A galaxy of governesses
- An implausibility of gnus
- An observance of hermits
- A rhumba of rattlesnakes
- A shrewdness of apes
- A superfluity of nuns
Sadly, the collective noun for guinea pigs is group. Presumably the marvellousness of guinea pigs was too much for anyone to attempt to collectively noun properly.
Here’s one of the Internet’s many lists of collective nouns. What are your favourites?
Categories: language
Crunching numbers on the latest Oxfam report 
Quote OTD: Humour is a social act that forms a social function 
Today in Double Standards 
Quick Hit: Angry = Awesome 
Hoyden About Town 
They’re always fun to make up, too. A cuteness of guinea pigs? A cuddle of guinea pigs?
Also, I’ve always thought it must surely be a cacophony of cockatoos.
Wiktionary has ‘A chattering, clattering, cluttering, crackle, or family’ of cockatoos. Also, a sign of cymbals, a dilation of pupils.
A daring of Deborahs, I suggest.
“A disturbance of sysadmins. Because if we are, you will be. ”
Coined by Joe Thompson in the scary devil monastery.
Surely, it should be “an alloy of metallurgists”, not an amalgamation – that would be the collective noun for unionists.
My personal faves are the often quoted – murder of crows and crash of rhinoceros.
A parliament of owls (although I think a parliament of galahs is more appropriate)
and of course (apologies to the Rev Spooner) a wunch of bankers.
Attempted murder.
Seeing as I’m heading down south to MICF, I’m sadly aware that the collective noun for comedians has not yet arrived at a consensus. Suggestions such as “riot” sound frankly far too energetic, “heckle” and “giggle” are too obvious yet not punny enough, “pundemonium” is a tad too punny, while “misery” or “insecurity” seem too cynically stereotypical. An “embarrassment” or “discomfort” of comedians might work, although “guffaw” and “quip” my favourites because they are just so much fun to over-enunciate.
I think you’ve cracked it Chally – a marvellousness of guinea pigs.
Haha, how clever of you, Mindy! Perfect.
A snuffle of puppies?
A scream of drag queens?
I *think* made those up – I can’t recall now!
When my partner gave the speech at his brother’s wedding he invited suggestions from the floor as to the best collective noun for bridesmaids. An expectation of bridesmaids is the only one I can remember.
I love a parliament of owls too.
Back when one nation blighted the landscape I used to refer to a peril of paulines.
I think it could be a shout of comediens.
A quip of comedians. Perfect.
And parliament of galahs, wunch of bankers. Even more perfect.
I break into grins every time I think about it: a wunch of bankers. I think that’s become my favorite.
I like a quip of comedians, but for some reason what keeps floating around my head is a terror of comedians.
“Terror’” is a bit extreme, isn’t it? Maybe just a dread of comedians…works on quite a few levels that one.
Yeah, I like the dread too. I dunno though, I think it describes the experience of the stand-up comic to some extent – at least when just beginning. I also know quite a few people who come close to terror at the thought of being targeted in an audience by a comedian. 🙂
Freaking clowns man.
An uncanniness of clowns.
An implausability of theologians.
A Humphrey of schemers.
A bore of actuaries
That’s the only one I can remember from when we were making them up years ago
Okay, people, what is the name for a collection of hoydenizens? Hmm? 🙂 Inquiring minds, they wants to know…!!
An outrageousness? Or perhaps a thought of hoydenizens? 🙂
My four-year-old has just corrected me when I referred to a ‘flock’ of dragons. According to him the proper collective noun for dragons is a ‘snapdark’.
My facebook friends and I decided a while back that it was most likely a lurch of zombies.