The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1910-01-22
LITTLE NoRA's MISTAKE.

The copiousness of the English tongue, as well
the difficulty in the of its immense vocabu-
larry, tempts to give to readers the following
array of synonymous words which we compiled for
little girl of st. Mary's Convent this city.
Nora was looking out the parlor window, fac
ing First West when bunch of sheep were NOV
ing south. Turning, she exclaimed: Look at the
fleet of sheep" We corrected her by saying that
fleet of sheep is called flock and flock of ships
is called fleet.
After she had recovered from the load of infor-
nation we put upon her, we promised to write out
for her and her little companions list of what are
called synonyms or words which have very nearly,
though not exactly, the same meaning. 1t is we'll
for the young man or woman who is studying the
intricacies of the English language and trying to
master the nouns of multitude to remember that
a flock of girls is called bevy, that bevy of
wolves is called pack, and pack of thieves is
called gang, and gang of angels is called host,
and a host of fish, like porpoises, is called shoal
and shoal of deer is called herd, and herd of
chickens is called troop and troop of wild ducks
a covey, and covey of beauties is called galaxy
and galaxy of ruffians is called horde and
horde of rubbish is called a heap, and heap of
oxen is called drove, and drove of backguards
is called mob, and mob of whales is called a
school, and a school of worshppers is called con
gregation and congregation of engineers is called
a corps pronounced kore), and corps of robbers
is band, and band of locusts is called a swarm,
and swarm of people is called crowd, and a
crowd of gentlefoks is called the elite of society,
and the elite pronounced aleet) of citys bolster
Gus blackguards and rascals are called toughs,
roughs and rowdies and the miscellaneous crowd
of a city's population is called the public, and the
public while processing religious creed, the COM
munity, and community attending particular
church a congregation.
Modern education, with all its trimmings and
fine buildings can claim superiority, as regards
accuracy of speech and correct expression over the
education given fifty years ago. Lindley Murrays
grammar in the everyday school, and Crabbes syn
onyms in the higher or grammar school, when
taught by good masters grounded boys and girls in
correct speech and made them particular in
choice of expression and words than we are today
Accuracy of speech is disappearing. The spirit of
kindness, of gentleness, of brotherly love seems
also to be dying out in the mad rush for wealth and
amusement. Things have surely changed.
Where are the 'good, old-fashioned winter" the
"good, old-fashioned summer" the contented family
gathered around the hospitable home table? Home
life is also disappearing and the people are
becoming cliff or cave dweers in those pyramidal
apartment houses. There seems to be more money
and less love- home love- love of the right kind Then
those nameless little cvlies, those gracious express
sions of friendly feeling, the courtesies of daily life
the amenities between well bred men and women,
are they all gone or going? Must elegance of ex-
preston correct enunciation, accuracy of speech
and respect for poetry go down with the humanities
to make place for the almighty dollar and the spirit
of vulgar self-assertiveness.