Monday, 12 May 2008

Washington Irving



Having completed my latest mystery novel and needing something to read, I slid Washington Irving's Sketchbook off the top shelf. Of course you are all familiar with The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow though I can't say I had read much other by him. I turned to a segment called Christmas Eve, then read Christmas Day and am now reading The Christmas Dinner. I love his writing. He transports you back to Old English Christmas time in the Squire's manor house. I have picked up many a small tid bit on custom of the time or language used. Even Franz was not aware that if the effigy on a coffin showed the figure with legs crossed, it means they were in the Crusades. Anyhow, here is a quiz based on a section in the book. Irving makes the mistake of calling a group of peacocks a "flock". That is not correct.

#1 what do you call a group of peacocks?

#2 What do you call a group of doves or swallows?

#3 What do you call a group of quails?

#4 What do you call a group of deer, wrens or cranes?

#5 what do you call a group of foxes?

and lastly #6 what do you call a group of rooks?

Tomorrow I'll post the answers. This is a photo of Irving's house in New York.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'll tell you what you can call a group of peacocks...

...a Peacongregation! I am so funny, yuk yuk yuk.

Anonymous said...

What is this mystery novel you speak of?

p.s. I would like to talk with you about editing.

Serena Potter said...

Peacongregations! chuckle chuckle. Now really, you are in a English speaking country - why not see if any of those office folk know the answers?

Send me an e-mail and tell me about editing...

Christie said...

1 what do you call a group of peacocks?
Peafowl

#2 What do you call a group of doves or swallows?
No idea

#3 What do you call a group of quails?
Dinner.

#4 What do you call a group of deer, wrens or cranes?
Herd?

#5 what do you call a group of foxes?
Warren or coven?

and lastly #6 what do you call a group of rooks?
Birds.

I'm no good at animals, sorry.

heidi said...

this one will take me a while. I'll have to google everything because I'm a little on the uneducated side.