FFS, in ds' Y6 SPAG revision book, "bevy of beauties" is in as a collective noun

[northender]

There was a series of words eg crows, owls, whales etc and you had to fill in the collective noun for them. There, at the top of the list, was "beauties" ffs??? What is going on? 11 year old ds is supposed to know this?

Felt the need to vent as I was so

bev·y
Noun
1. A large group of people or things of a particular kind.
2. A group of birds, particularly when closely gathered on the ground.

It's a pretty common collective noun - what's the issue?

It read like this: _ of beauties. All other examples were animals. I have no problem with the meaning of the word bevy being taught although I don't think it's particularly commonly used. Bevy of beauties though is something you'd see in the Sun, entirely different imo.

That sounds like something out of the Chalet School.

It's an incredibly uncommon term for year 6, isn't it?

Mind you, the actual sexism lies in assuming that 'beauties' is referring to women. A 'bevy of beauties' could be referring to men or women or cows ... I'm sure it isn't, but just on the basis of the OP, it's not actually sexist in itself, is it? It's the interpretation that's sexist.

Actually my instinct is that it's sexist but more general in application. If you asked me to complete the phrase "A bevy of --" I think I'd answer "nuns". Or maybe "schoolgirls" but never "schoolboys".

But then just like a bevy of nuns, you might say "A bevy of monks". Or even "A bevy of M.P.'s" But somehow the word implies fussy and not very effective people if they aren't female. And if they are, well, are nuns and beauties equally unlikely to rock the world?

It's actually a very complex word. Imagine trying to translate it into any other language.

"A bevy of cunts". Shall we get started on that?

Collins adds "a group, esp of girls" to the definition. But it's a weird one in a general list of animals because it does apply to birds - why not include it that way?

Yeah ... I am coming round to agreeing.

I worked in a pub when I was 18 and the landlord would often put his sweaty arms around the team of young female bar staff as we worked, and say to customers, "don't you wish you had your own bevy if beauties like my girls?"

That's the only context I've heard it used in regularly, so can't really get past seeing it as anything other than [vomit smiley]

YABU

Some of us men are beautiful.