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Quiz about The Strange World of Collective Nouns
Quiz about The Strange World of Collective Nouns

The Strange World of Collective Nouns Quiz


We have all heard of a "pack of wolves" or a "herd of elephants" but what do you call a group of rattlesnakes? Or arsonists? Or mushrooms? Come on a trip around the world with me to find out.

A multiple-choice quiz by thelovelylulu. Estimated time: 7 mins.
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Time
7 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
255,385
Updated
Jul 23 22
# Qns
15
Difficulty
Very Difficult
Avg Score
6 / 15
Plays
3394
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Question 1 of 15
1. We'll start our trip in the North American desert where we find a group of rattlesnakes. This collective shares a name with which dance? Hint


Question 2 of 15
2. Trying to escape the rattlesnakes, we seek shelter in an ghost town. Unfortunately, we have not been there long when the town is burned to the ground by a band of arsonists. What fiery term denotes this destruction of multiple buildings? Hint


Question 3 of 15
3. America seems to hold too much danger so our next stop is England. We have a refreshing cup of tea with my friend. She has a collection of over 300 teddy bears. What cute collective term could be used to describe this collection? Hint


Question 4 of 15
4. Refreshed from the tea, we take a walk in the nearby woods and find a group of mushrooms. We are hungry, so stop and munch on a few. What is the correct collective term for the group of fungi we have discovered? Hint


Question 5 of 15
5. We possibly shouldn't have eaten those mushrooms, because the next thing we know we are surrounded by a group of unicorns. By what collective term could we call them? Hint


Question 6 of 15
6. Falling into a deep sleep after seeing the magical beasts, we are eventually woken by the cawing of a group of ravens. What term would we NOT use to describe this group?
Hint


Question 7 of 15
7. We now travel to India where we meet a group of rhinoceros (or rhinoceroses if you prefer). What noisy term can we use to denote them? Hint


Question 8 of 15
8. A trip to Africa is next on our tour. Here we observe a group of baboons in the wild. This collective could be called a flange. By what other term could we also call them? Hint


Question 9 of 15
9. On our trip to Africa, we are joined by a group of junior commissioned English Army Officers. These sub alterns seem like a very pleasant bunch of boys, so we can't quite understand the seemingly derogatory term for their group. What is this? Hint


Question 10 of 15
10. The sub-alterns tell us that one of their favourite sports is ferret racing. By what term could we denote a group of ferrets? Hint


Question 11 of 15
11. Leaving the sub-alterns, and their ferrets behind we travel to South Africa, in search for a collective of diamonds. After all, they are a girl's best friend. Unfortunately, we don't find any but we are suprised to find lots of corn fields. They seem harmless, yet a lot of corn has which eerie collective noun? Hint


Question 12 of 15
12. No trip around the world would be complete for this girl without some retail therapy and where better than Paris? Haute couture is well out of my price range but the Parisian markets offer a range of both modern and vintage clothing at reasonable prices. What collective term can any group of merchants go by? Hint


Question 13 of 15
13. Time to go home. We head back to Australia to the beautiful beaches of Far North Queensland. Port Douglas is lovely, but we can't swim outside of the nets due to an infestation of jellyfish in the sea. These horrible creatures go by which suitably violent name? Hint


Question 14 of 15
14. It's hot in the tropics, so we decide to have a refreshing beverage in one of Port Douglas' many drinking establishments. We are lucky though, because the bartender tells us that the following week all the pubs will be closed as he and all the other barmen in the area will be attending a conference. What would we call this collection of barmen? Hint


Question 15 of 15
15. Finally, it's time to get back to Melbourne and just one stop before we can get some well needed sleep. In the 1880's the Heidelberg School developed in what was once one of Melbourne's rural outskirts. Which of the following collective terms does NOT denote a group of painters? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 17 2024 : Guest 103: 7/15
Feb 22 2024 : Andyboy2021: 15/15

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. We'll start our trip in the North American desert where we find a group of rattlesnakes. This collective shares a name with which dance?

Answer: Rhumba

You cannot tell how old a rattlesnake is by the number of its rattles. A new rattle segment is added every time a rattle snake sheds its skin but how often this happens depends on a number of factors including food supply and growth rates. Rattles can also break off.
2. Trying to escape the rattlesnakes, we seek shelter in an ghost town. Unfortunately, we have not been there long when the town is burned to the ground by a band of arsonists. What fiery term denotes this destruction of multiple buildings?

Answer: a conflagration

Guy Fawkes is one of the most famous arsonists. In 1605, he plotted to kill King James I and the members of both houses of Parliament in England by blowing up Westminster Palace during its formal opening session. He was caught and executed for treason and attempted murder.
3. America seems to hold too much danger so our next stop is England. We have a refreshing cup of tea with my friend. She has a collection of over 300 teddy bears. What cute collective term could be used to describe this collection?

Answer: A hug

The technical term for a person who loves teddy bears is an arctophile.
4. Refreshed from the tea, we take a walk in the nearby woods and find a group of mushrooms. We are hungry, so stop and munch on a few. What is the correct collective term for the group of fungi we have discovered?

Answer: a troop

You should never eat mushrooms you find in the wild, unless you are very experienced in their identification. Many mushrooms that look like edible varieties can be poisonous and lead to vomiting, hallucinations and even death.
5. We possibly shouldn't have eaten those mushrooms, because the next thing we know we are surrounded by a group of unicorns. By what collective term could we call them?

Answer: a blessing

If they existed, a unicorn would be a monoceros creature. This means they have one horn. Another monceros being is the rhinoceros.
6. Falling into a deep sleep after seeing the magical beasts, we are eventually woken by the cawing of a group of ravens. What term would we NOT use to describe this group?

Answer: A parliament

A parliament can, however, be used to describe a group of rooks or owls.
7. We now travel to India where we meet a group of rhinoceros (or rhinoceroses if you prefer). What noisy term can we use to denote them?

Answer: A crash

According to Wikipedia, rhinoceros are the leading cause of wildlife related human deaths in India and Nepal.
8. A trip to Africa is next on our tour. Here we observe a group of baboons in the wild. This collective could be called a flange. By what other term could we also call them?

Answer: A rumpus

A whoop is a group of gorillas, a bloat refers to a set of hippos and a group of apes is a shrewdness.
9. On our trip to Africa, we are joined by a group of junior commissioned English Army Officers. These sub alterns seem like a very pleasant bunch of boys, so we can't quite understand the seemingly derogatory term for their group. What is this?

Answer: A simplicity

One of my favourite poems is Sir John Betjeman's "A Sub-Altern's Love Song".
10. The sub-alterns tell us that one of their favourite sports is ferret racing. By what term could we denote a group of ferrets?

Answer: A business

According to the The British Ferret Club, to race ferrets, you need 3 pipes of equal lengths, a person to start the race, someone to record the results and between 9-21 competitors! Owners try to get their ferrets through the pipes as quickly as possible. This apparently is not as easy as it sounds as ferrets tend to have a mind of their own!
11. Leaving the sub-alterns, and their ferrets behind we travel to South Africa, in search for a collective of diamonds. After all, they are a girl's best friend. Unfortunately, we don't find any but we are suprised to find lots of corn fields. They seem harmless, yet a lot of corn has which eerie collective noun?

Answer: A shock

Creepy connections to corn can also be found in the Stephen King short story "Children of The Corn" where an evil entity called "He who walks behind the rows" lurks in the corn fields.
12. No trip around the world would be complete for this girl without some retail therapy and where better than Paris? Haute couture is well out of my price range but the Parisian markets offer a range of both modern and vintage clothing at reasonable prices. What collective term can any group of merchants go by?

Answer: A faith

Continuing the religous theme, the patron saints of merchants are St Francis of Assisi and St Nicholas of Myra.
13. Time to go home. We head back to Australia to the beautiful beaches of Far North Queensland. Port Douglas is lovely, but we can't swim outside of the nets due to an infestation of jellyfish in the sea. These horrible creatures go by which suitably violent name?

Answer: A smack

Groups of jellyfish can also be called a smuth, a fluther and a stuck. The venom of the box jellyfish, which can be found in the waters of Port Douglas and other North Queensland beaches can be fatal if not treated quickly.
14. It's hot in the tropics, so we decide to have a refreshing beverage in one of Port Douglas' many drinking establishments. We are lucky though, because the bartender tells us that the following week all the pubs will be closed as he and all the other barmen in the area will be attending a conference. What would we call this collection of barmen?

Answer: A promise

Joe Gilmore ranks as one of the world's most famous barmen. He created cocktails for Winston Churchill, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles and Julie Andrews amongst others. His Moonwalk cocktail, made in 1969 to celebrate the first moon landing consisted of Grand Marnier, grapefruit juice and rosewater, topped up with champagne. Yum!
15. Finally, it's time to get back to Melbourne and just one stop before we can get some well needed sleep. In the 1880's the Heidelberg School developed in what was once one of Melbourne's rural outskirts. Which of the following collective terms does NOT denote a group of painters?

Answer: A worship

A group of writers can be termed a worship. The Heidelberg school is significant in that they were the first group that focussed on depicting the harsh light and vibrant colours of Australia as opposed to the more muted European tones than had been used up until then.
Source: Author thelovelylulu

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Bruyere before going online.
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