consider:
a trace of hares
a richness of martens
an implausibility of gnus
a troubling of goldfish
a business of ferrets
an unkindness of ravens
a clash of bucks ('swhat i need!)
a trip of dotterel
a watch of nightingales
a crash - or even a stubbornness - of rhinos
a memory of elephants
a stare of owls
but what about octopuses (or octopi or octopii)? a friend of mine recently told me that there is nothing in the world more slippery than a baby octopus. he knew it from experience. so what is the measure word for those? perhaps there isn't one because they typically don't congregate? maybe the business of socializing is best left to furry, frisky things with fewer arms. but what if these baby octopii are accidentally lumped together, like say, if they're caught in a net? and it's your job to untangle the little sluggers? how do you communicate what you're trying to save?
"an oily medusa of baby octopii" doesn't quite roll off the tongue - but wait - what about "a greasy tongue"? a big ole greasy tongue of 'em? no?how about...
a wonder-wiener? (you know, those toys that forever slip from your grasp)
an idea?
a slope?
reason?
apparently the octopus has three hearts - numbers one and two are used for pumping blood through the gills. the third is used for loving.
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