I already know how my next post will begin:
The bus from Newark discharged its passengers — a … of Swedes and myself — into the halogen murk of the Port Authority bus station on 42nd.
But now I’m stuck. I can’t think of a good collective noun for Swedes. This is what I’ve come up with so far, but rejected. What do you thinkI have, however, found an excellent collective noun for my fellow city dwellers: A syndrome of Stockholmers.?
A binge of Swedes? (Doesn’t cover the sober ones);
A curiosity of Swedes? (Doesn’t cover the drunk ones);
A share of Swedes? (Too Third Way. Or too First Way? In any case, too confusing);
An angst of Swedes? (Too stereotyped);
A collective of Swedes? (Too literal for my tastes).
Any suggestions?
“a small swarm of Swedes”. We are social insects, you know.
A flurry of Swedes, in honor of the snowstorm we had on Wednesday?
An expanse of Swedes, coz there is so much room?
a depression of swedes
a mash of swedes?
a saab of swedes?
a fermented tub of rotten fish of swedes?
an unaligned bloc of swedes?
a dreadful bore of swedes?
an oppression of swedes (as per other scandinavian nations)?
If you’re into alliteration, you could do worse than “a swathe of Swedes.”
no you couldn’t.
Not all of us come from places where “What’s a good collective noun for a group of Swedes in English” is a long-solved problem 😛 .
i’m sorry aidan. swathes of swedes isn’t that bad. i liked the littel man sticking out his tongue :-P. i hadn’t seen that before.
A smorgasbord of Swedes?
Amy Berks? THE Amy Berks from SAIS?
You had a snowstorm?
oh wow.
We have 37 degrees temperatures here.
KP
Yes. The very same. I’m in London visiting THE Amelia Hougen for my 30th.