Re: [LUG] Penguins

[Simon Waters <Simon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Neil Williams wrote:
> What's the collective noun for penguins?

This is some subtle attempt to link the "many" and "penguins" thread I'm
sure.

Rookery is the collective noun for penguins. Although other terms are in
common usage, and some are applied to them only when swimming.

Colony is commonly used, but isn't distinct to the type and so doesn't
really qualify as a collective noun, in the sense I took the question to
mean.

"cluster" is far more "apt" in this context.

> http://www.dclug.org.uk/linux_uk/events.php
> Date: Thu 19th-Feb-2004 7:00pm GMT
> Venue: St Peters School, Exeter

Begs the question a collective noun for LUG members.

If rook is to crow, as penguin is to linus, which I think the reader
must grant me this. Rooks being notoriously sociable, and crows usually
being seem on their own. Have you ever seen even two Linus's in the same
room, where as penguins gather in huge numbers.

Thus it would be a murder of Linux users.

Of course language should be colourful and descriptive as well as useful
so I like these;

http://www.ojohaven.com/collectives/

'A whored of prostitutes' - hmm.
'An anthology of English pros' - oh dear.

How about non-Linux users.

Since "virus" is already a collective - we are left with either;

A clew of Windows users.
A pestilence of Windows users.

BSD - well the wee beasty mandates our choice.
A possession of BSD users.

An orchard of Apple users.
A storm of macs (?).
A joblot of Apple MACs.

A constellation of SUNs.

A brew of Java.

?

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