63 replies to this topic

[Gaius Marcus]

I was just reading the discussion about the plural for Atlas being Atlases, and it got me thinking, what are appropriate collective nouns for groups of similar mechs.

There are other threads for discussing if its Atlas or Altai or Atlade, or whatever, go there.

If you don't know what a collective noun is, think a gaggle of geese, a murder of crows, a lance of mechs. The actual collective noun doesn't actually have to be a noun, it becomes a noun when it quantifies the group.

For example,

a Battery of Catapults
an Aggression of Awesomes
a Hugo of Hunchbacks (I considered a Notre Dame of Hunchbacks, but that didn't ring true, excuse the pun)
a Squad of Commandos (ho hum)

For the dedicated Battletech fans, chill, this is me having fun with words, not trying to define anything.

Compiled list of mechs I know or have heard are in the game. I'll start a poll once we get enough suggestions
Keep providing the collective nouns for others (Spiders, Cicadas, etc.) but in order not to go insane, I'm just compiling what I know about. If I miss your post, I'm sorry.

Commando
A Mob of Commandos (Pinto)
A Going of Comandos (Elsydeon)
A Dollshouse of Commandos (Sparks)
A Can of Commandos (Sealawyer)
A Squad of Commandos (Magik)


Jenner
A Pest of Jenners (Hana)
A Zerg of Jenners (Pinto)
A Legging of Jenners (Elsydeon)
A Piranha of Jenners (Kaemon)
An Annoyance of Jenners (Joehunk)
A Murder of Jenners (Galerius)
A Jest of Jenners (Sealawyer)
A Scurry of Jenners (process)
A Sprint of Jenners (Magik)

Centurion
A Company of Centurions (BFett)
A Legion of Centurions (Hana)
A Decimation of Centurions (Elsydeon)
A Cohort of Centurions (Magik)

Hunchback
A Hugo of Hunchbacks (GM)
A Mob of Hunchbacks (Magik)

Dragon
A Flight of Dragons (GM)
A Smaug of Dragons (Elsydeon)
A Brood of Dragons (Sgt Puddles)
A Den of Dragons (Magik)

Catapult
A Battery of Catapults [LRM mode] (GM)
A Crash of Catapults [SRM mode] (GM)
A Snipe of Catapults [ballistic mode] (GM)
A Pride of Catapults (Pinto)
A Boat of Catapults (Elsydeon)
A Blot of Catapults (process)
A Quorum of Catapults (Magik)

Atlas
A Charles of Atlases (GM)
A Shrug of Atlases (Elsydeon)
A Stomp of Atlai (Kaemon)
A Wall of Atlases (process)
A Mountain of Atlai (Magik)

Awesome
An Epic of Awesomes (Hana)
An Agression of Awesomes (GM)
A Whole Lot of Awesome (Pinto)
*A Trouser-load of Awesome (Binbo) [I just about shot water out my nose]
A Norris of Awesomes (Elsydeon)
A Possum of Awesomes (Magik)

Urbanmechs
A Dumpster of Urbanmechs (Hana)

Raven
An Unkindness of Ravens (Elsydeon)
A Murder of Ravens (Saber Avalon)


Note: I saw an artists drawing of an urban mech and it remnded me of this.

*Current fave

Edited by Gaius Marcus, 22 August 2012 - 01:15 PM.

[BFett]

So a company of Centurions.

[Hidran]

ATLAI!

[HanaYuriko]

Legion of Centurions
Dumpster of Urbanmechs
Epic of Awesomes
Pest of Jenners

[Arfer]

Gaius Marcus, on 21 August 2012 - 12:12 PM, said:

For example,

a Meow of Cats
a Barney of Awesomes
a GTFO of Hunchbacks
a Trip of Commandos

Fixed.

[Strum Wealh]

It depends on how many 'Mech one has, and who owns them:
IS Houses/Mercs: a Lance/Company/Battalion/Regiment/Brigade of 'Mechs
ComGuards/WoB: a Level II/Level III/Level IV/Level V/Level VI of 'Mechs
Clans: a Star/Binary/Trinary/Cluster/Galaxy of 'Mechs

[BarHaid]

A plague of Locusts

Let's run with this...

A swarm of Wasps
A pointe of Stingers
An infestation of Fleas

Edited by BarHaid, 21 August 2012 - 02:38 PM.

[SakuranoSenshi]

Lance, company, battalion, regiment.

[cinco]

that's stupid. mechs aren't breeds of animals. there would be one collective noun for all of the mechs, regardless of name. ie, a clowder of [mech name]

[Magik0012]

a SQUAD of Commandos?
a SPRINT of Jenners?
a MOB of Hunchbacks?
a COHORT of Centurions?
a DEN of Dragons? (I like Flight tho)
a QUORUM of Catapults?
a POSSUM of Awesomes? (jk) - I got nothing here
a MOUNTAIN of Atlai?

[process]

A scurry of Jenners.

A collision of Dragons.
A blot of Catapults.
A wall of Atlases.

[Sealawyer]

A Jest of Jenners
A Can of Commandos

[Alfred VonGunn]

Or a Lance/Company/Battalion

[Saber Avalon]

Atlases is so wrong. (well ok technically it's acceptable but read on)

I point to the example of octopus(another word that ends in "s" with plural use), it is not octopuses (technically). As much as I like Atlai, it is not octopi either.

http://grammarist.co...topi-octopuses/

It's octopodes so deriving from that it's likely Atlades. *dun dun dun*

Edited by Saber Avalon, 21 August 2012 - 08:48 PM.

[SakuranoSenshi]

Saber Avalon, on 21 August 2012 - 08:46 PM, said:

Atlases is so wrong. (well ok technically it's acceptable but read on)

I point to the example of octopus(another word that ends in "s" with plural use), it is not octopuses (technically). As much as I like Atlai, it is not octopi either.

http://grammarist.co...topi-octopuses/

It's octopodes so deriving from that it's likely Atlades. *dun dun dun*

Couldn't be more wrong if you tried and that after some research of sorts. You could have just read the threads on this, though. ;-)

Atlases is correct, Atlantes is also correct but a bit pretentious. "Atlades" would be exactly the error you were chiding others over with 'octopi' and octopuses is, in fact, also correct.

[Saber Avalon]

SakuranoSenshi, on 21 August 2012 - 08:54 PM, said:

Couldn't be more wrong if you tried and that after some research of sorts. You could have just read the threads on this, though. ;-)

Atlases is correct, Atlantes is also correct but a bit pretentious. "Atlades" would be exactly the error you were chiding others over with 'octopi' and octopuses is, in fact, also correct.

Hey, I said Atlases is techincally correct.

How do you figure Atlades is incorrect? I was even kind enough to provide a source to back up my derivative. Please do explain yourself.

Side note; Where do you get off saying I was chiding people? hmmm?


For the heck of it, another source: http://boingboing.ne...octopi-oct.html
Keep in mind "Atlas" is Greek as well.

Edited by Saber Avalon, 21 August 2012 - 09:07 PM.

[Galerius]

A murder of Jenners.

[Saber Avalon]

Galerius, on 21 August 2012 - 09:07 PM, said:

A murder of Jenners.

Wouldn't that better fit the Raven >.>

Edit: Also, liking your own post? Really?

Edited by Saber Avalon, 21 August 2012 - 09:10 PM.

[SakuranoSenshi]

Saber Avalon, on 21 August 2012 - 09:01 PM, said:

Hey, I said Atlases is techincally correct.

How do you figure Atlades is incorrect? I was even kind enough to provide a source to back up my derivative. Please do explain yourself.

Side note; Where do you get off saying I was chiding people? hmmm?


For the heck of it, another source: http://boingboing.ne...octopi-oct.html
Keep in mind "Atlas" is Greek as well.

Not to be rude here, but Atlases is more than technically correct, it's the perfectly correct English plural. Atlantes is the correct plural from (classical) Greek, Atlades is simply wrong and without going into detail, you'll notice it (octopus) doesn't even end with the same letters as Atlas.

I said 'chiding' in a slightly humorous way, not suggesting you were really taking people to task, as such but you did comment on how people use 'octopi' and that it is wrong, which could be construed that way. You have made the same error with your attempt to pluralize.

Edited by SakuranoSenshi, 21 August 2012 - 09:16 PM.

[Joehunk]

Quote

I considered a Notre Dame of Hunchbacks, but that didn't ring true, excuse the pun

I lol'ed.

My vote:
An Annoyance of Jenners
(shamelessly stolen from "An Annoyance of Netlings" from the Warhammer Wood Elves Army Book)

Edited by Joehunk, 21 August 2012 - 09:24 PM.