crazietalk.net

You know, technically speaking.

Discuss.

-EarlJam

Well, we do belong to the biological kingdom of Animalia (or Metazoa, if you prefer), if that's what you're asking.

The fact that we are animals was taught to me when I was a very young animal.

CameronBornAndBred wrote:The fact that we are animals was taught to me when I was a very young animal.

Other animals have really cool names for themselves when they are in groups. I mean, there's a "herd" of cattle, or a "flock" of birds, of course, both fairly familiar and pedestrian by now, but did you know that a group of rhinos is called a "crash"? Or that a group of ravens is called a "murder"? There's an army of ants. A troop of gorillas. A coalition of cheetahs. An obstinacy of buffaloes (no, seriously).
So why do we just call a group of ourselves a "group of people"? You'd think we could do better for ourselves as a species. I mean, hell, we invented all of those other awesome words, right?

wilson wrote:

CameronBornAndBred wrote:The fact that we are animals was taught to me when I was a very young animal.

Other animals have really cool names for themselves when they are in groups. I mean, there's a "herd" of cattle, or a "flock" of birds, of course, both fairly familiar and pedestrian by now, but did you know that a group of rhinos is called a "crash"? Or that a group of ravens is called a "murder"? There's an army of ants. A troop of gorillas. A coalition of cheetahs. An obstinacy of buffaloes (no, seriously).
So why do we just call a group of ourselves a "group of people"? You'd think we could do better for ourselves as a species. I mean, hell, we invented all of those other awesome words, right?

The universal term for "a large group" is "shitload."

"There are a shitload of people here tonight."

Okay, so many angles here. So, if you gather a group of ravens and have them committed to some kind of avian sanctuary, have you technically committed a murder? It would suck to do something nice like that for ravens only to be sentenced to death for it. One thing is for certain, you'd never do it again. Nevermore. Nevermore.

-EarlJam

EarlJam wrote:Okay, so many angles here. So, if you gather a group of ravens and have them committed to some kind of avian sanctuary, have you technically committed a murder? It would suck to do something nice like that for ravens only to be sentenced to death for it. One thing is for certain, you'd never do it again. Nevermore. Nevermore.

-EarlJam

Excellent point. There's also the possibility of scenarios like the following:
That murder was crowing bloody murder outside my house last night, so I murdered the murder. Those ravens are tough little suckers...finishing the murder murder was murder.

wilson wrote:

EarlJam wrote:Okay, so many angles here. So, if you gather a group of ravens and have them committed to some kind of avian sanctuary, have you technically committed a murder? It would suck to do something nice like that for ravens only to be sentenced to death for it. One thing is for certain, you'd never do it again. Nevermore. Nevermore.

-EarlJam

Excellent point. There's also the possibility of scenarios like the following:
That murder was crowing bloody murder outside my house last night, so I murdered the murder. Those ravens are tough little suckers...finishing the murder murder was murder.

Hmmmmmm. So if a group of ravens peer into a mirror, will they see "Red Rum" written in dark red?

-EarlJam

wilson wrote:

CameronBornAndBred wrote:The fact that we are animals was taught to me when I was a very young animal.

Other animals have really cool names for themselves when they are in groups. I mean, there's a "herd" of cattle, or a "flock" of birds, of course, both fairly familiar and pedestrian by now, but did you know that a group of rhinos is called a "crash"? Or that a group of ravens is called a "murder"? There's an army of ants. A troop of gorillas. A coalition of cheetahs. An obstinacy of buffaloes (no, seriously).
So why do we just call a group of ourselves a "group of people"? You'd think we could do better for ourselves as a species. I mean, hell, we invented all of those other awesome words, right?

Interesting:

A Troop of Gorillas vs. Guerilla Troops.

Both can pretty much fuck you up, though Gorillas are absolutely powerless against the element, Samsonite.

-EJ

EarlJam wrote:So if a group of ravens peer into a mirror, will they see "Red Rum" written in dark red?

-EarlJam

HAHAHAHAHA.

I wonder what a group of wookiees is called? That seems like precisely the sort of dorky thing that George Lucas and/or his dorky disciples would think about.

wilson wrote:I wonder what a group of wookiees is called? That seems like precisely the sort of dorky thing that George Lucas and/or his dorky disciples would think about.

Well, let's see. They're hairy. They're powerful. Men like them (in a companionship sort of way). Their lips are prominent. And if you treat them poorly, they can really mess you up.

How about a "Vaginak?"

"Hey, check that out Magnus! It's a vaginak of wookiees!"

-EJ

EarlJam wrote:Well, let's see. They're hairy. They're powerful. Men like them (in a companionship sort of way). Their lips are prominent. And if you treat them poorly, they can really mess you up.

How about a "Vaginak?"

"Hey, check that out Magnus! It's a vaginak of wookiees!"

-EJ

Speechless.

wilson wrote:

CameronBornAndBred wrote:The fact that we are animals was taught to me when I was a very young animal.

Other animals have really cool names for themselves when they are in groups. I mean, there's a "herd" of cattle, or a "flock" of birds, of course, both fairly familiar and pedestrian by now, but did you know that a group of rhinos is called a "crash"? Or that a group of ravens is called a "murder"? There's an army of ants. A troop of gorillas. A coalition of cheetahs. An obstinacy of buffaloes (no, seriously).
So why do we just call a group of ourselves a "group of people"? You'd think we could do better for ourselves as a species. I mean, hell, we invented all of those other awesome words, right?

I thought a group of crows was a murder. I thought a group of ravens was called an unkindness.

Here's a website about it: http://home.comcast.net/~ray.ammerman/groups.html

bjornolf wrote:I thought a group of crows was a murder. I thought a group of ravens was called an unkindness.

Here's a website about it: http://home.comcast.net/~ray.ammerman/groups.html

A group of crows is indeed a murder. However, ravens are likewise referred to as such.
http://www.hintsandthings.co.uk/kennel/collectives.htm

EarlJam wrote:You know, technically speaking.

Discuss.

-EarlJam

Blame it on Linnaeus.

wilson wrote:

bjornolf wrote:I thought a group of crows was a murder. I thought a group of ravens was called an unkindness.

Here's a website about it: http://home.comcast.net/~ray.ammerman/groups.html

A group of crows is indeed a murder. However, ravens are likewise referred to as such.
http://www.hintsandthings.co.uk/kennel/collectives.htm

ah, but my term, an unkindness, was the first listed. Some rando named Michelle added the murder.

What I find funny is that there are a bunch of different ones for penguins, depending on their activity. Waddle if they're on land, raft if they're swimming, rook if they're nesting. Wow.

In answer to the title question: some more so than others.