# A Purge of Princes **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 6, 2017, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-purge-of-princes/800894 "2017-11-06T16:39:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-purge-of-princes/800894/1 "2017-11-06T16:39:49Z")
I was listening to the radio this morning, and the announcer was referring to recent events in Saudi Arabia. In the course of the piece she mentioned “a purge of princes.” I thought that was a pretty cool collective noun for a group of royals of any nationality. My other favorite is the word for a group of bankers: a wunch. As in “look at that wunch of bankers!” Do you have any other good collective nouns to share? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-purge-of-princes/800894/2 "2017-11-06T17:42:12Z")
Although “purge of princes” does sound like a great collective noun – like “exaltation of larks”, I think you misinterpreted the announcer. There was a mass arrest of Saudi Royalty – they really were purging the princes, not using “purge” as a collective term: [http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/saudis-arrest-11-princes-dozens-ministers-shake-50940094](http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/saudis-arrest-11-princes-dozens-ministers-shake-50940094) Or possibly you weren’t misinterpreting it, but just though “purge of princes” would be a great collective term. I agree. Or the title of the next George R.R. Martin book about Westeros. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-purge-of-princes/800894/3 "2017-11-06T17:45:12Z")
This page, by the by, claims that a collection of princesses forms a “Royalty” and that bunch of Princes are a 'State" > **[(146) Collective Nouns For People + Quiz & More!](https://www.collectivenounslist.com/people/)** > > Check out this list of collective nouns for People. ---
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-purge-of-princes/800894/4 "2017-11-06T17:49:28Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Although “purge of princes” does sound like a great collective noun – like “exaltation of larks”, I think you misinterpreted the announcer. > > There was a mass arrest of Saudi Royalty – they really were purging the princes, not using “purge” as a collective term: > > [http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/saudis-arrest-11-princes-dozens-ministers-shake-50940094](http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/saudis-arrest-11-princes-dozens-ministers-shake-50940094) > Or possibly you weren’t misinterpreting it, but just though “purge of princes” would be a great collective term. I agree. > Or the title of the next George R.R. Martin book about Westeros. Yes, I knew that. The way she said it came across as ambiguous, and I thought it would be fun to play with it. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-purge-of-princes/800894/5 "2017-11-06T17:52:04Z")
I’m still waiting for George R. R. Martin to finish writing _A Purge of Princes_. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-purge-of-princes/800894/6 "2017-11-06T17:56:39Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I’m still waiting for George R. R. Martin to finish writing _A Purge of Princes_. Didn’t finish reading me entry in the thread, didja? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-purge-of-princes/800894/7 "2017-11-06T17:56:48Z")
“Wunch of bankers” is just a spoonerism. The correct collective noun for bankers is, of course, a cache. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-purge-of-princes/800894/8 "2017-11-06T18:59:35Z")
let’s not forget politicians! A collective of politicians should be called,of course: a bribe. ---
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-purge-of-princes/800894/9 "2017-11-06T21:32:12Z")
Should a group of cabinet officials be called a scandal? ---
**Author:** ![Whiskey\_Dickens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9fc348/32.png) [@Whiskey\_Dickens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whiskey_Dickens)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-purge-of-princes/800894/10 "2017-11-06T21:45:05Z")
This collective noun bullshit is nonsense. English is complicated enough as it is! Here on out, all collective nouns will be replaced with an “all y’all.” ---
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-purge-of-princes/800894/11 "2017-11-06T21:49:42Z")
> [@Whiskey\_Dickens](#): > > This collective noun bullshit is nonsense. English is complicated enough as it is! > > Here on out, all collective nouns will be replaced with an “all y’all.” I propose that a group of grammarians be called a pedant ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2017, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-purge-of-princes/800894/12 "2017-11-07T00:08:04Z")
My very favorite collective noun tale is as follows: Three Oxford dons, walking along the high street, discussing the types of things Oxford dons discuss, spied a trio of ladies of the night a few yards ahead. “What ho!” said one. “‘Tis a trey of tarts!” “I beg to differ, old boy,” responded another. “That is more properly called ‘a fanfare of strumpets.’” “I’m surprised at you lads,” remarked the eldest of the three. “Surely, in our line of work you might be expected to recognize an anthology of English pros.”