BS: Collective name for a group of Mice

Subject: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: GUEST,d_hand
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 11:00 AM

Have looked up the usual sites on this one but can't find the collective name for a group of mice - if there is one..............

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: Charley Noble
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 11:07 AM

Well, there are "pack rats" for a start but how about a "dice of mice" or maybe a "trice of mice"?

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: MMario
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 11:07 AM

in various sites found on google - searching for collective+mice

click

mischief

nest

horde

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: GUEST,d_hand
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 11:08 AM

I rather like 'A muddle of Mice'

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 11:10 AM

Collective nouns like this are fun to play with. They're called "venereal" nound--not because of social diseases, but because Venus was a huntress.

I like a "gangle of adolescents" and a "cacophoby of folksingers". Probab;y the best designates a group of hookers--"a tray of tarts" or "an anthology of pros"

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: sian, west wales
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 11:11 AM

And I was thinking, 'a mickle of mice' ("many a little makes a mickle").

Or even 'a Mickey of mice'?

sian

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: catspaw49
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 11:17 AM

Meeces.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 11:19 AM

What about a "squeak" of mice - no offence intended to LTS.

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: EBarnacle1
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 11:22 AM

"I hate meeces to pieces."

Having seen a lot of them together, how about a carpet of mice?

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: Guessed
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 11:23 AM

Well the Romans probable called them mouthfuls of mice. (glis glis it the edible doormouse)

What about a mouseholefull of mice - not much better.

Joy has been plagued with 'em and I won't tell you what she calls them at 2am when they go wlkabout.

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: GUEST,Les B.
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 11:30 AM

I thought Mice was the collective name for more than one mouse??

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: MMario
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 11:34 AM

mice is the Plural of mouse.

other examples:

singular:goose plural:geese collective = a gaggle of geese

singular: crow plural:crows collective = a murder of crows

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: GUEST,ClaireBear
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 11:42 AM

A skittering of mice . . . or, at the aforementioned 2am, a pestilence of mice. I speak as one who knows.

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: Pied Piper
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 11:43 AM

Who invents these silly words that nobody uses except in sad quizzes?
"Oh look a murder of Cows"
I don't think so.
PP

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: MMario
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 11:45 AM

well no wonder no one uses it - it is a herd of cows. On the other hand - "murder" is very appropriate for a flock of crows - especially if they are ganging up on something.

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: Bagpuss
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 11:48 AM

I like an Unkindness of Ravens

and a Parliament of Rooks

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: JudeL
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 11:50 AM

It's a parliament of owls

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: C-flat
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 11:54 AM

A load of bollocks?

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: artbrooks
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 11:54 AM

According to this place, "nest" is correct.

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: C-flat
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 12:07 PM

Nest here too.

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: JennyO
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 12:11 PM

C-flat, I noticed on your link, there is also listed :

a horde of mice

and

a mischief of mice.

I rather like the last one!

Jenny

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: GUEST,ClaireBear
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 12:12 PM

Should've said that skittering and pestilence are my *own* venereal term for the pesky little beasties, with whom I live far too close quarters.

Sorry for any misunderstanding.

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 12:24 PM

I noticed that Art's link also listed "click". Odd that "click" should have been associated with mice long before the digital revolution.

Personally, I prefer a "catful" of mice.

Bruce

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: GUEST,ClaireBear
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 12:31 PM

Venus wasn't a huntress; that was Diana. Venereal in the sexual sense does relate back to Venus: ML veneria (sexual intercourse); L. venus (sexual love, sexual desire). However, venereal in the way we're using it comes from a completely different root -- the same root as venison: L. venari (to hunt, pursue).

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: Cluin
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 01:15 PM

I thought it had to be several crows (possible a specific number) perched in line, either on a branch or telephone wire for the group to constitute a murder? A fairly powerful omen. I recall reading that somewhere...

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: Rustic Rebel
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 01:33 PM

I liked yours Bee-Dubya-Ell- a catfull, mine on the other hand is a dogfull of mice- the cat doesn't do the mouse thing around here, the dogs do.
Peace, Rustic

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 01:46 PM

The group of mice in Bagpuss who used to sing folk songs with the Marvellous Mechanical Mouse Organ were just called the singing mice I think.

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: Genie
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 02:09 PM

How about "a scurry of mice?"


Genie

PS, My favorite "venereal name," is one Johnny Carson suggested on The Tonight Show: "a shaft of proctologists"

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: Schantieman
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 02:09 PM

Herd of cows?

Yes of course I've heard of cows!

;-)

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 02:20 PM

Choir of horses...

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: Amos
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 02:25 PM

An erosion of politicians...

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: Genie
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 02:52 PM

A fret of banjo pickers...
An expansion of accordionists...
A blast of trumpeters...

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: Rustic Rebel
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 02:57 PM

A bunch of celery


Ok, I have no imagination at all!

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: C-flat
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 03:30 PM

A plate of sandwiches?
me either!

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: GUEST,Les B.
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 03:57 PM

OK, then, a "plurality" of mice.

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: Amos
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 04:06 PM

A scram of mice?

An excellence of Macs?

A bloat of Pentiums?

An uplift of songs?

A crash of bug reports?



A

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: artbrooks
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 04:08 PM

A meander of muggles?

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: GUEST,Lyle
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 04:12 PM

Go here:

http://www.stalking.co.uk/group.html

You will find names for just about every animal. And you will find this entry:

Cats: Clowder, Clatter, Pounce

You're welcome

Lyle

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: MMario
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 04:13 PM

surely it would be an ordinary of muggles?

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 04:19 PM

Some old Englishman started all of this. I think it is called the Hunt Vocabulary, much added to in the 19th century. Probably started with a "pride" of lions, which dates to 1486 ("a pride of Lionys")
Pride of lions
leap of leopards, etc. etc.

and no, it wasn't a trunkful of elephants.

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: GUEST,Lyle
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 04:31 PM

This is fun!

Most places give the name of a group of mice as a Nest. However, this one:

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/animals/Animalbabies.shtml

gives the following:

Baby: Pup, Pinkie, Kitten

Group: Horde, Mischief

I kinda like a "mischief of mice." Now, can someone work that phrase into a folk song?

Lyle

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: David Ingerson
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 05:31 PM

There is no "correct" one. As was pointed out above, it was a sort of verbal game several centuries ago. Only the most-often-used ones have come down to us.

I love games like this and many of the above posts have done a brilliant job of characterizing a group of mice.

As one who has handled tame mice, I might add a velvet of mice. nah, not really that good. oh well.

David

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: reggie miles
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 05:34 PM

A squirm of worms ~~~~~~

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: Nerd
Date: 17 Jan 03 - 12:04 PM

Ones I've heard:

A jam of tarts
A controversy of pipers

How about a google of websites?

By the way, James Lipton, whom some Americans will know as the TV host of the interview show "Inside the Actors' Studio," published a book of these entitled (I think) An Exultation of Larks.

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: mack/misophist
Date: 17 Jan 03 - 12:34 PM

"An Exhaltation of Larks" is a great book on the subject. It says that most of there words stem from the medieval passion for hunting.

Re: prostitutes: 'a pride of loins', a flourish of strumpets'

How could MMario have missed that although geese on the ground are a gaggle, in the air, they're a skein.

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: Schantieman
Date: 17 Jan 03 - 12:35 PM

...and then of course there's the collective noun for headmasters....


a lack of principals!

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: JennyO
Date: 17 Jan 03 - 01:23 PM

A screech of sopranos


A cacophany of crows


A battering of bodhrans

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 17 Jan 03 - 01:36 PM

I maintain that anything more than a pair of mice is an Infestation!
Quack!
Geoff the Duck!

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: JennyO
Date: 17 Jan 03 - 01:45 PM

A deafening of drums

Subject: RE: Collective name for a group of Mice
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 17 Jan 03 - 01:47 PM

I have also over the years lost many points at league quizzes because I maintain that 99% of collective nouns for animal groups have been made up simply to provide quiz questions.
The one which particularly annoyed me was being asked for the collective for a group of cheetas. I accept that lions gather as a pride, but cheetas and leopards are solitary hunters and do not hang around in gangs.
There are a few I accept as legitimate and fair game, but in most cases I go for a PACK.....
Geoff!