A Murmuration of Starlings
Michael Rosen talks to Matt Sewell about the weird and wonderful collective nouns of the animal world.
Most groups of wildlife can be described as a flock or a herd, a swarm or a shoal 鈥� but where is the fun in stopping there? From an army of ants to a dazzle of zebras, an exultation of larks to a murder of crows, the English language is brimming with weird and wonderful collective nouns to describe groups of animals and birds.
Michael Rosen talks to Matt Sewell, author of 'A Charm of Goldfinches', about some of the more obscure examples that have made their way into common usage as collective nouns for creatures of the land, the sea and the air...
Produced for 麻豆社 Audio Bristol by Becky Ripley
Last on
Broadcasts
- Tue 9 Aug 2022 16:00麻豆社 Radio 4
- Mon 15 Aug 2022 23:00麻豆社 Radio 4
From blunk to brickfielder: our wonderful words for weather
Exploring creative descriptions for wind, rainfall and sunny spells from around the world
Digital body language 鈥� how to communicate better online
We need to find new ways of talking to each other 鈥渧irtually鈥�.
Coinages that changed the world 鈥� and some that tried to...
Exploring the hidden histories of obscure words, and common buzz phrases.
Ittibitium, borborygmus, and Ba humbugi 鈥� 14 wonderful science words you鈥檝e never heard of
Michael Rosen puts the language of science under the microscope.
Download this programme
Subscribe to this programme or download individual episodes.
Keywords for Our Time
Series of programmes examining key phrases in public debate.
Smiley face: Seven things you didn't know about emoji
Some facts about emoji - possibly the world's first truly global form of communication.
The funny words that kids invent
Have a look at some of the fantastic words that children invent and reimagine.
Podcast
-
![]()
Word of Mouth
Series exploring the world of words and the ways in which we use them
