Macquarie Dictionary

or

Invent an Aussie collective noun!

Everyone loves collective nouns. Some might say they are the longest lasting listicle in history (and others might say that’s a bit hyperbolic).

We’ve looked at collective nouns before in their many weird and wonderful forms, but casting an eye over the Australian landscape, there is a dissatisfying dearth of terms for common and less common Australian fauna. We of course have a mob of kangaroos, a harem of fur seals and a smack of jellyfish but we want to see all of our beautiful, unique Australian fauna represented.

So, suggest some new, quintessentially Australian collective nouns.

Tweet us, comment and tag us in your most imaginative, outlandish and of course, fitting new terms. We’ve got a starter list of animals below, but don’t stop there, we want your most obscure, clever, interesting and fun takes on what makes an Aussie collective noun.

We’ll collect these over the next week and give our favourite entries prizes from the new Seventh Edition Macquarie Dictionary range just in time for Christmas!

 

anteater

echidna

platypus

Atlas moth

emu

pobblebonk

banana prawn

fairy penguin

possum

bandicoot

fiddler beetle

potoroo

bearded dragon

flying fox

prawn

belut

forty-spotted pardalote

quokka

bird of paradise

frillneck lizard

quoll

black swan

funnel-web spider

rainbow lorikeet

bluebottle

fur seal

red kangaroo

blue-ringed octopus

galah

ribbonfish

blue-tongue

gang-gang

rock lobster

bogong moth

gastric brooding frog

rosella

bombardier beetle

gurgling earthworm

scrubtit

boobook

hairy-nosed wombat

sea dragon

boofhead tortoise

hog deer

sea eagle

bowerbird

ibis

sea lion

box jellyfish

Irukandji jellyfish

shark

brolga

jabiru

shield shrimp

brown snake

jumping spider

spangled drongo

budgerigar

kangaroo

sugar glider

bunyip

koala

Tasmanian devil

bustard

kookaburra

thorny devil

butcherbird

lace monitor

thunderbird

cassowary

land lobster

thylacine

catbird

leafy sea dragon

tree kangaroo

Christmas beetle

lionfish

triantelope

cockatiel

lyrebird

water dragon

cockatoo

magpie

wedge-tailed eagle

cockroach

mallee dragon

willie wagtail

crazy ant

moon jellyfish

wobbegong

crocodile

mouse spider

wombat

cunjevoi

mud crab

wurrup

dingo

myna

yallara

djoongari

night parrot

yowie

drop bear

pademelon

 

dugong

pelican

 

Terms and conditions: Multiple entries permitted. Three winners will be selected by Macquarie Dictionary editors based on creativity. This competition runs from 10/11/2016 to 30/11/2016. Prize for each winner is one (1) copy of the Macquarie Dictionary Seventh Edition, valued at $120.00.

Leave a Comment

Featured Articles