# Humors of Monkeys and Ravens? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 26, 2001, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humors-of-monkeys-and-ravens/95390 "2001-11-26T23:46:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2001, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humors-of-monkeys-and-ravens/95390/1 "2001-11-26T23:46:23Z")
Is a group of monkeys called a “humor of monkeys?” Just like a group of crows would be called a murder or a group of flamingoes a flambouyance? Also, what is a group of ravens called? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2001, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humors-of-monkeys-and-ravens/95390/2 "2001-11-26T23:50:18Z")
Monkeys generally gather in “troops”, not “humours”. I’ve also seen “barrel” used, though I don’t know that that is an ‘official’ designation. And, a group of ravens is generally called an “unkindness”. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2001, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humors-of-monkeys-and-ravens/95390/3 "2001-11-26T23:58:16Z")
Unkindness of ravens, that’s so awkward. Murder of crows, now that sounds cool 🙂 Crash of rhinos is cool too. What is it when cats gather, again? ---
**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humors-of-monkeys-and-ravens/95390/4 "2001-11-27T01:04:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Speaker for the Dead \* > \*\*What is it when cats gather, again? \*\* That would be a “clowder”. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Raven\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@The\_Raven\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Raven_1)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humors-of-monkeys-and-ravens/95390/5 "2001-11-27T15:37:56Z")
Howyadoin, I’ve read the term “parliament of ravens” in several places… I’ve also read “troop of monkeys”… -Rav ---
**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humors-of-monkeys-and-ravens/95390/6 "2001-11-27T16:51:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The\_Raven \* > **I’ve read the term “parliament of ravens” in several places…** “Parliament” (as a collective noun) usually refers to owls, not ravens. ---
**Author:** ![Why\_A\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Why\_A\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Why_A_Duck)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humors-of-monkeys-and-ravens/95390/7 "2001-11-27T17:52:25Z")
I believe that “humor” is the collective noun for clowns. (or not) ---
**Author:** ![Scupper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Scupper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scupper)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humors-of-monkeys-and-ravens/95390/8 "2001-11-27T18:05:14Z")
I believe a “parliament” refers to rooks, not owls. Owls don’t gather in large groups, as they are not social birds, AFAIK. ---
**Author:** ![Scupper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Scupper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scupper)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humors-of-monkeys-and-ravens/95390/9 "2001-11-27T18:06:47Z")
Of course, I should probably not be debating this subject with someone named “Darwin’s Finch” … 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humors-of-monkeys-and-ravens/95390/10 "2001-11-27T18:14:35Z")
Here is the full list: [http://www.kreme.com/writing/w1.html](http://www.kreme.com/writing/w1.html) ---
**Author:** ![Scupper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Scupper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scupper)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humors-of-monkeys-and-ravens/95390/11 "2001-11-27T18:44:52Z")
That’s not what I’d call a complete list. They don’t even have a herd of cattle or a pod of whales. I have now officially seen both a parliament of rooks and a parliament of owls. Perhaps we’re in some kind of bicameral situation here. ---
**Author:** ![the\_coffeehood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9dc877/32.png) [@the\_coffeehood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_coffeehood)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humors-of-monkeys-and-ravens/95390/12 "2001-11-27T18:58:49Z")
Please check in at [this thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=101194) ---
**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humors-of-monkeys-and-ravens/95390/13 "2001-11-27T23:00:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scupper \* > \*\*That’s not what I’d call a complete list. They don’t even have a herd of cattle or a pod of whales. > > I have now officially seen both a parliament of rooks and a parliament of owls. Perhaps we’re in some kind of bicameral situation here. \*\* For rooks, I’ve seen “building”, “clamor” and “storytelling” (“storytelling” has also been used for ravens and crows). Again, though, I’ve only ever seen “parliament” and “owls” used together (that is, I’ve never seen a parliament of anything other than owls, and owls were always in parliaments). Also, keep in mind that collective nouns do not necessarily refer to social groups. Just any collection (e.g., the parliament of owls shown in the Harry Potter movie ;)). ---
**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humors-of-monkeys-and-ravens/95390/14 "2001-11-27T23:03:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scupper \* > \*\*Of course, I should probably not be debating this subject with someone named “Darwin’s Finch” … 🙂 \*\* If there were more than one of me, we’d be a “charm” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2001, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humors-of-monkeys-and-ravens/95390/15 "2001-11-28T03:52:36Z")
Cool. Thanks for all the help! BTW, the thread **the coffeehood** links to also links to [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=51821). My apologies for not searching.