The name for people who are lost

Collective nouns do what they say on the tin — they’re the names for collection of things, like a herd of cows, a hive of bees or a pride of lions. These are easy ones that a five-year old would know. Here are more everyday examples: a fleet of ships, a panel of experts, a pod of dolphins, a board of directors, a gaggle of geese, or a host of angels.

But then things get more complicated. A gaggle of geese refers to geese on the ground. Geese in flight? Well, that’s a skein. We all know bananas come in a bunch, well actually not, it’s hand or a comb. And ants come in armies, but so do caterpillars, herrings and frogs.

There are others that share a bed. We’re aware of a bevy of ladies, but what about a bevy of deer, otters or swans? And a company of actors? They’re in good company, with moles, soldiers and parrots. Or a congregation of worshippers? They’re joined by alligators and crocodiles… but that just sounds like the plot of a horror movie.

Whilst we’re on dodgy characters, a mob of thieves have meerkats, emus and kangaroos in their gang. An ambush of tigers seems appropriate, but an ambush of widows? A rather magical one is a charm of goldfinches, along with hummingbirds and fairies.

So where do these odd names come from? Some collective nouns for birds have been around since the 1400s. It’s thought they…