Terms of Venery

Every word enthusiast eventually amuses himself or herself with "terms of venery," better known as collective nouns. These are the words you use to describe a group of things. You know, a gaggle of geese, a murder of crows, or, most famously An Exaltation of Larks. "Terms of venery" comes from the days when proper breeding required a gentleman hunter to know the proper names for the groups of animals he might find on a foray. Venus, who enjoyed the chase, lends her name to the root. "Venereal terms," though correct, hasn't persisted for some reason.

A recent Word-A-Day email included suggestions for new terms. My favorite was "a blather of bloggers." Melissa's, "a clique of photographers." I once came up with "a network of nerds." When my ex-girlfriend and I went to the symphony, we played the game for little black dresses, the fail-safe outfit for women lacking something to wear to an event. She voted for "a ubiquity of LBDs," while I opted for "a revelation." Different perspectives, I guess.