Pharyngula::What do you call a group of skeptics?

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Thursday, February 17, 2005

What do you call a group of skeptics?

PZ Myers • 48 Comments (last page)

You know, like a murder of crows or a gaggle of geese…what's the collective noun for skeptics? A suspicion of skeptics? A dubiety of skeptics? Maybe a quarrel of skeptics. Anyway, we need some term that's good and rowdy, I think.

The second meeting of the Skeptic's Circle has met at Respectful Insolence. I had no idea we were such a boisterous bunch, or that a virtual meeting on the internets could be so lively, but so it was, and now everyone gets to be entertained and informed by it.

Oh, and there was much shredding of Behe. A very good show.

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Comments:

#16257: Trish Wilson — 02/17 at 08:10 AM
How about a rowdy of skeptics? ;)

#16259: — 02/17 at 09:14 AM
Or a school of skeptics; a faculty of skeptics, even?

#16260: — 02/17 at 09:38 AM
How about an alouatta of skeptics? Alouatta (as Iam sure you all know) is the genus name of the mantled howler monkey. This way one can pay one's respects to the ever skeptical T.O "howler monkeys", general boisterousness, and the burden (or mantle) of skepticism that such individuals bear.

Ok, it's a crap idea, but it's a slow work day!

#16261: — 02/17 at 09:43 AM
Oh and not that I am drawing any parallels, but here's a photo:

Note oval face, predilection for facial hair, piercing glare. I'll say no more.

(Oh I know this is Alouatta nigra not A. palliata, btw)

#16262: Chris Clarke — 02/17 at 09:59 AM
A redoubt of skeptics.

"I do not think we should antagonize the religious when it is not warranted, though I think we should be willing to do so whenever it is.”
-- Glen Davidson

#16263: Bryson Brown — 02/17 at 10:02 AM
My favourite term of venery for philosophers is a disputation of philosophers. It's a little pallid, but how about a doubting of skeptics? A reservation? Maybe that has unfortunate associations... For the modern philosophy crew, we could try a Descartes of skeptics, or, for a little more vigour in those cheeks, how about a deception of skeptics, or even (again on a Cartesian theme) a demon of skeptics? That ought to set the cat amongst the pigeons...

#16264: — 02/17 at 10:02 AM
The alliteration of this is nice, but I am not sure how rowdy it is: a skein of skeptics.

From the M-W online dictionary:
skein:TANGLE
3 : a flock of wildfowl (as geese or ducks) in flight

#16266: Aydin — 02/17 at 10:12 AM
A posse of skeptics?

#16268: — 02/17 at 10:26 AM
But if you want the term to reflect more of the nature of the group instead of just being literal (like a pride of lions versus a pack of dogs) then maybe something more like a doubt of skeptics.

While we're doing this, what about terms for IDers and creationists? A gullible of creationists? A prevarication of IDers?

#16269: — 02/17 at 10:28 AM
But if you want the term to reflect more of the nature of the group instead of just being literal (like a pride of lions versus a pack of dogs) then maybe something more like a doubt of skeptics. (I see belatedly that Bryson Brown has suggested "doubting" but I think I prefer "doubt".)

While we're doing this, what about terms for IDers and creationists? A gullible of creationists? A prevarication of IDers?

#16270: Dr Pretorius — 02/17 at 10:30 AM
I've always been fond of scorn, myself, and would suggest that perhaps "a scorn of skeptics" might work.

#16271: — 02/17 at 10:41 AM
IMO, the term should have something to do with the skeptic's role in "explaining" things.

An exposition of skeptics?

A delineation of skeptics?

An exegesis of skeptics?

Or, we could be a little more ironic, with say...

...A prophet of skeptics!

Once in a while you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right.

-Jerry Garcia

#16272: — 02/17 at 10:59 AM
A reason of skeptics?

#16273: — 02/17 at 11:01 AM
An 'iquiry of skeptics'?

#16277: WolverineTom — 02/17 at 11:22 AM
A mob of skeptics would fit us nicely.

#16278: Hank Fox — 02/17 at 11:27 AM
An indignancy of skeptics. A short shrift of skeptics.

Or how about we just tell it like it is?

A tragic SHORTAGE of skeptics.

#16279: — 02/17 at 11:36 AM
A Pyrrho of skeptics.

#16281: — 02/17 at 11:55 AM
A dubiosity of skeptics.

Might not find that one in the OED, but the meter is pleasing.

#16282: Dr Pretorius — 02/17 at 12:09 PM
I'd like to change my mind and second "A Shortage of Skeptics", because really, no matter how big the group is there should probably be more of them.

#16283: pough — 02/17 at 12:29 PM
A balderdash of skeptics
A piffle of skeptics
A fiddle-faddle of skeptics
A foofaraw of skeptics
A humbug of skeptics
A bunk of skeptics
A derisory of skeptics
A scoff of skeptics

#16284: — 02/17 at 12:38 PM
A floogle of skeptics.

#16286: Mrs Tilton — 02/17 at 01:17 PM
I've never liked these 'exaltation of larks'-type collective nouns, and suspect many of them were invented in a spirit of deliberateness tweeness.

Seeing as we're being deliberately twee here, though, how about 'an unlikelihood of sceptics'?

#16289: — 02/17 at 01:50 PM
I personally favor "quarrel" myself.

...oh wait, we're competing to see how clever we can be, not actually looking to agree on a candidate. In that case, I'll put up my own candidate: a cleverness of skeptics.

#16292: — 02/17 at 02:44 PM
Snark mode;
a Tweeness of skeptics?

#16294: — 02/17 at 03:00 PM
Take it from the name of your meeting place:

"An Insolence Of Skeptics"

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Thursday, February 17, 2005

What do you call a group of skeptics?

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