In Australia, an "eiderdown" IS a blanket that is stuffed with said filling. And in the typical, Australian way, we have shortened it to be "doona"... a word that I always thought was funny for some reason! ;-)
tan. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jostein" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2004 4:00 AM Subject: Re: OT: While we're on language, have a collective noun won't ya.. > Eiderduck is a kind of duck. :-) > Traditionally, supplier of the softest filling you can get for your pillow; > eiderdown. > Nesting many places in Europe, including Norway, Scotland and Iceland. > http://www.tringa.no/pages/gallerier/galleri-fugler/aerfugl.html > > There's a couple of North American relatives too, I think... > > Jostein > ----------------------------- > Pictures at: http://oksne.net > ----------------------------- > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Monday, January 05, 2004 3:36 AM > Subject: Re: OT: While we're on language, have a collective noun won't ya.. > > > > > Hmm Ern, isn't an eider a type of duck? I just went to check and the one > I > > > was looking for was 'a flush of ducks'. It's more fascinating then I > thought > > > it'd be- I did a Yahoo search on "collective noun" and ducks > > > and got > > > http://www.nzbirds.com/Collective.html > > > & > > > http://www.sentex.net/~tntcomm/kwfn/numbers.htm > > > and I must say it's a bountiful poet's resource! One for ducks was "a > > > badelynge of ducks" and I have no clue what a badelynge or a badling is, > but > > > ooh.. :) And one I thought was fascinating, "an RSVP of egrets". > Wouldn't > > > have thought of it in a million years! 2 more entries in my bookmarks.. > Btw, > > > Tom- "a plague of photographers" alliterative and apt! > > > > > > Cheers, > > > Ryan > > > > > > I remember "eider" as a collective from years ago; I recall noticing that > it > > was the same as a variety of duck. But -- the site I found with some of > these > > interesting terms > > http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/help/faq/animals/names.htm > > didn't have "eider". > > The Concise Oxford didn't back me up, "eider"; so I can only assume > > that "eider" I remember it wrong, or was given wrong information Way Back > When > > by some source. Probably a substandard textbook. > > :-) > > >
