The loveliness of a flying beetle
You only have to utter "a 'loveliness' of ladybirds" to appreciate its poetic potential and it even has a William Wordsworth feel to it.
Ladybirds are one of the more attractive species in the insect kingdom with a reddish colouring and three spots on each wing. I recall my father telling me to treat ladybirds with respect as they were "good for the garden". Apparently they eat pests like aphids and creepy crawlies.
It prompted me to look at some of the more unusual collective nouns for a gathering of creatures. One that caught the eye was "shrewdness" of apes. They acquired the description as an acknowledgement of their intelligence. Jellyfish are common to Thai coastal waters and when they get together they are known as a "smack" because when they sting it resembles the pain of a strong smack. So beware, there are a few nasty ones lurking in the shallows.
A gathering of Thailand's national animal, the elephant, is commonly called a "herd" but alternatively a more refined description is a "memory" of elephants. Incidentally, when Australia's kangaroos get together it is called a "mob", which seems a trifle unfair.
Ask the owls
Fans of Thailand's celebrity pygmy hippo "Moo Deng" may be interested to learn that when there is a gathering of hippos the collective term is a "bloat", a reference to their bloated appearance.
Some of the terms are self-explanatory, including a "tower" of giraffes. I particularly like a "flamboyance" of flamingos.
Perhaps the most appropriate collective noun is a "parliament" of owls. You get the feeling that there are many parliaments around the world which could learn a lot from those wise old birds.
Fly away home
There is a nursery rhyme Ladybird, Ladybird that like many such rhymes has a dark side referencing 16th century priests in England being burnt at the stake. Of course as children we were not aware of the uncomfortable history.
There was a small overgrown plot near my house and in the summer it attracted a host of ladybirds, or rather a "loveliness". Children were told it would bring good luck if you placed a ladybird in your hand, made a wish and blew it away while reciting the rhyme, which went something like this:
"Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home/ Your house is on fire and your children are gone/ All except one and her name is Ann/ And she hid under the frying pan."
I don't recall it ever bringing me any luck.
Lady Bird
Readers will be aware that America's First Lady from 1963–69 was known as Lady Bird Johnson, wife of US president Lyndon Baines Johnson. Her first name was Claudia but when she was at a young age a nursemaid referred to her as being "as pretty as a ladybird" and the nickname stuck throughout her life.
It remains unclear whether the nurse was referring to a bird or the ladybird beetle as Americans usually called the beetle a "ladybug". Nonetheless when she was resident at the White House every US citizen knew her as Lady Bird.
Lady Bird became a passionate conservationist and loved the outdoors. Her message "where flowers bloom so does hope" inspired a lot of people.
Dry nicknames
Most nicknames for US First Ladies are fairly straightforward, but there are a few that require some explanation.
Sarah Polk, wife of the 11th president James Knox Polk, was known as "Sahara Sarah". Her disapproval of alcohol prompted White House receptions to be termed "as dry as the Sahara desert".
Possessing similar views on booze was Lucy Webb Hayes, wife of president Rutherford Hayes. Hence her nickname, "Lemonade Lucy".
President John Tyler's wife Julia was very stylish and had a presidential look about her and became known as "Lady Presidentress". Another First Lady who had a strong presence was Florence Harding who was known as the "Duchess" owing to her perceived influence over husband Warren.
Rosalynn Carter was nicknamed "The Steel Magnolia". Although she looked as fragile as the flower she was very strong and resilient.
Sycamore justice
Readers familiar with the Sycamore Gap case in England will probably have seen that the two men found guilty of illegally felling the iconic tree were given four-year jail sentences on Tuesday.
The 150-year-old tree was located in Northumberland next to Hadrian's Wall and stood out as the solitary tree in a natural dip in the hills. It was a photographer's dream with its striking silhouette becoming familiar to people around the world.
There is not much more to add to this sorry episode except that it is still not clear why they committed such a senseless act. The judge dismissed pleas that it was just "drunken stupidity" and put it down to "sheer bravado" noting that the pair seemed to have enjoyed their subsequent notoriety.
The prosecution had earlier termed it "the arboreal equivalent of a mindless mugging" which summed it up nicely.
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