The Independent, today, had a feature about collective nouns. The suggestion for lawyers is ‘ a quibble’.
Here is the piece from The Indie if you missed it:
A quibble of lawyers
As in: “Rupert is one of that select quibble of lawyers whose earnings top £5m per annum.” (Winner: Paul Powney)
Lawyers lie somewhere between MPs and estate agents in public esteem, being seen as prolix, tricky and exploitative. Hamlet’s complaint about “the law’s delay” also clearly still echoes. A litigation of lawyers was popular and had the virtue of alliteration, but what are lawyers for if not to litigate? Ditto for brief. We felt quibble got to the heart of what people felt. Other legal collectives included: a shyst; a haggle; a wallet; a slick; a slither; a greed; a connivance; a disdain; a grabbit; an extortion; a fleece; a leech; a cunning; a thicket; a wriggle; a twist; an adroitness; a wealthiness; a loophole; an honesty (there’s always room for irony).
I rather liked a ‘slither of lawyers’ – it appealed.
How are you today Charon?
Ah, you see I preferred an honesty of lawyers (never mind irony – always room for redemption).
Of the others listed, I liked an embellishment of estate agents, a wannabe of actors, an effrontery of stand-up comedians, a Clough of football managers, a vault of bankers, a fabrication of journalists (they are the ones that deserve real disapprobation), a circumlocution of MPs, an expletive of TV chefs and a Chelsea of 4 x 4s.
Kate….. I am resurrected…. I have returned….. how goes the Virginity project…. we shall talk soon….
I am pleased that Davina, my long lost cousin and agony aunt, is happy to contribute to my blawg…. saved me having to distract myself from drinking more wine and watching cricket.
It is good to have long lost relatives…. and, sometimes, indeed, it is good that they are long lost.
Belle de Jure…. it was a good feature…… The article in The Indie on the ‘coup in Palestine by an elected government’ was fascinating…