BISBEE WIRE #119
editor: fred miller November 1, 2026 #119/November 2026 |
Hello, If you haven't done it by now, I hope you will, and encourage any friends that haven't done it, to do it...vote I mean. There are prognosticators galore with lots to say and little evidence, and lots of major media speculation as usual positing the election like a ping pong match...who is up or down, whether it will be a bloo wave or a blue flood or red undertow. I try to tune out the static. The one guy I read consistently is G Elliot Morris. From his website, "The mission here is simple: to help you be smarter about politics and the news using empirical analysis based on hard data — not speculation, conventional wisdom, or “vibes.” And he seems to do that. Sometimes he nerds out with deep dive into methodology, but generally has a take that is evidence based and understandable. According to him, the evidence seems to point to dems taking enough house seats for control and possibly taking the senate. We'll see. The amount of money In Arizona alone is staggering. As of mid-October the Total Raised for the 2026 nine U.S. Congress Elections in Arizona; $125,780,151, 76% from out of state. It is part, a really small part really, of an estimated $12 billion spent this cycle (by Open Secrets). The billionaires like to buy those elections don't they. This is a few cherry picked factoids about the congressional races in our area...
(Go here for info at Open Secrets a wealth of information broken out in several ways about donors, industries, PACs, and percentages/amounts they are giving in races throughout the US. Info for 2026 state candidates and races is not yet available.) Several organizations are kicking off the 'event' season that begins with communing with the dead at Dia de Los Muertos and continues with the Pit Fire, Ozamatli, Sense of Style, Sidepony, Spelling Bee, T-day St. dinner, Home Tour/Art auction. And on into December there is the Fur Ball. Several art openings at the Carriage House, Artemizia, and Central School. Any of these organzations can use your support. If you've got a bit of time, volunteers would be welcomed. Try as I might, I can't seem to get shorter versions out more frequently, I justify it by knowing I am contributing to the renaissance in reading. fred ...............AROUND TOWN................ DOCENTS NEEDED Docents are the heart of the Bisbee Woman's Club Home Tour; they welcome attendees to featured properties and serve as tour guides. As a docent you can expect to work with another volunteer for a three-hour shift on either the Friday or the Saturday, November 27 & 28. You’ll have the opportunity to meet with the Homeowner to learn about the property in advance of the Tour. Past Docents rave about how much fun they have chatting with attendees and showing off their assigned homes. Go here for info. ++++++++++ STRUTTIN' THEIR STUFF-THE SENSE OF STYLE FASHION SHOW On Sunday, November 8, the science of style up cycling boutique is having a fashion show of at 519 West Melody Ln. starting at 11 AM. Refreshments served at 11:30 and a parade of fashions of day and workwear, travel clothes, fancy dress, including leather jackets and rain gear. Tickets for the Science Center fundraiser are $25 and includes a five dollar credit in the shop which will be open after the show. The shop has a selection of women and mens clothing, as well as shoes, purses, accessories and vintage jewelry. tickets Tickets are available at Pantera, High Desert market and on Eventbrite, as well as at the door. ++++++++++ SPELLING BEE BUZZIN The teams have been announced for the November 21, Bee at St Pats, 100 Quality Hill. They are The Spellcasters, Big Dic-tionary Energy, The Killer Beezz, The Busy Bees, The Notorious B.E,.E. The Divine Miss M&M's, The Q/ueen Bees, K 'Bee"RP. ..............EVENTS............... November 2...5th annual El Dia de Los Muertos celebration in Bisbee on November 2nd, 5:30 pm in Goar Park. November 6... Cochise College’s annual Pit Fire Pottery Festival from 3–9 p.m Douglas campus November 7...Ozamatli concert at the Warren Ball Park. a benefit concert supporting the Bisbee Coalition for the Homeless. A Santana tribute band opens the show. Tix here November 8... Sense of Style fashion show, 1st annual. 11:30 519 Melody Lane, benefits the Bisbee Science Center November 13 – 15...Sidepony Express Music Fest! 3 days of free music, music, music. go here for info. November 14...opening "Myths: Ancestral Stories in Art" at Carriage House Studio, 308 Powell, runs through December 5 November 20...Found Objects and Assemblage, the REMAKE show, gallery opening at Central School 6:00-8:30 More info Nov. 21...Spelling Bee! A very fun event. with competing teams. doors open at 5:30, show at 6 :30, St. Patrick's church/100 Quality Hill. Go here for info. Nov. 26...Community Dinner at St.Joseph Nov. 27-28...Bisbee Woman's Club 42nd Home Tour and Art Auction Dec 5...The fourth kinda annual Fur Ball. Stock Exchange/15 Brewery, 6:30-9:00 A benefit for the Friends of the Bisbee Animal Shelter Dec. 12... Nadya Tolokonnikova, a founder of the performance group Pussy Riot will be featured in the 818 Gallery. Artemizia, 818 Tombstone Cyn. More info here Dec. 12... Cochise Harm Reduction open house, 203 Bisbee Rd. If you choose to support my work with the Wire with a donation, I would be most appreciative. Click on the QR if using Zelle it is bisbeewire@gmail.com. Please send checks to 39 Hazzard/85603 THESE DECISIONS TAKE YOUR MONEY EVERY MONTH ELECTRICITY RATE INCREASES, WATER RATE INCREASES, GAS RATE INCREASES Steep increases of your monthly utility rates are looming in 2027. All three major utility services in Arizona-electric, gas, water-have asked the all-Republican AZ Corporation Commission (ACC) for rate hikes. If granted you will be paying about $30-$40 a month more than this year.
All three companies are also asking for a Formula Rate Plan (FRP) implementation that allow utilities to levy rate increases without a rulemaking hearing. This is now possible because of a permissive controversial ruling by the ACC in 2024. ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE WANTS MO' MONEY APS is asking the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) to approve an average 14% monthly electric rate increase. Depending on your rate plan, it could raise homeowners, churches, and schools, bills about 16%. Their ask also includes doubling the grid access for solar about $5 a month. Data centers would see a 45% increase. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, a former member of the ACC, has come out against the APS proposed rate increase. She said it was remarkable that APS have now asked for three consecutive large rate increases in a row and now want formula rates on top of it FORMULA RATESBuried deep inside its more than 2,000-page proposal is a request that could also allow the utility to request a rate increase every year. Known as the Formula Rate Adjustment Mechanism (FRAM), began as a policy in 2024 by the ACC, it would allow APS to raise rate annually without a hearing. Every five years there would be a formal hearing as is being done this year. The FRAM is being challenged in court.The five ACC members, all republicans, will issue a ruling in November and a final decision sometime in December. You can submit your public comments regarding the Arizona Public Service (APS) rate increase request directly to the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC).When filling out the online form, use the following Docket Number: E-01345A-25-0105Required Info: You will need to provide your name, address, email, and choose your stance (For, Against, or Neutral) By Mail: Send a written letter referencing the docket number (E-01345A-25-0105) to:Arizona Corporation Commission, Consumer Services Section, 1200 West Washington Street, Phoenix, AZ 85007Politics/ACC elections...There are five seats, all repubs. Two seats up for election. The challengers are Jonathon Hill and Clara Pratt, both dems. (vote for them) One current office holder Kevin Thompson, a former SW Gas employee, is running for reelection. And one other repub is running Ralph Heap. Heap is el sleezo. He is in trouble with the clean elections committee because he ran as a clean candidate and is under investigation for violating campaign finance laws by putting scads of signs around the state and not reporting it as required. He said the sign company gave him an extension of credit for the signs. APS and data centers background...APS is the operator and co-owner of the Palo Verde Generating Station. The Phoenix metro area ranks second in North America for proposed data center development. APS does not publish a single exact data center facility count, but it currently supplies power to dozens of operational data centers in the Phoenix metropolitan area, accounting for roughly 1,215 Megawatt (MW) of existing load and about 350 to 400 MW of continuous consumption. According to APS, The average sized data center in our service territory needs as much energy as about 64,000 homes — and they operate near peak capacity 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In 2025 APS proved-at peak times- 8.7 GW (According to AI, one gigawatt supplies about 850,750 homes with electricity). APS projects a peak load of 120 GW in 2035. Currently there is about 190 GW of uncommitted demand in the queue. Arizona Public Service (APS) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Pinnacle West Capital Corporation, a publicly traded holding company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker PNW current stock price is $110. The CEO, Ted Geisler, makes about $8,200,000 in yearly compensation .<><><> AZ WATER HAS ADDED A SURCHARGE PLUS THEY WANT MO' MONEYA new Consumer Information System (CIS) charge has been added to all AZ Water Company bills. According to the sheet sent to every household and business, the charge is for, "recovering costs and expenses associated with the implementation of AS Water new CIS, that provides enhanced cyber-security measures and allows the company to keep pace with the evolving and growing needs of the company and the public." The cost will depend on the size of your water meter. For instance the cost for our house is $2.12 because we have a 5/8x-inch meter.Arizona Water has also applied to the ACC for a 24% rate increase and as well as an annual Formula Rate Adjustment Mechanism (FRAM-see APS article above). The rate increase would bump residential users about $10 a month, the FRAM would allow for annual adjustments without an application. You can submit your public comments online at the Arizona Corporation Commission eFiling Portal, select "Make a Public Comment in a Docket," and reference Docket No. W-01445A-26-0044.Required Info: You will need to provide your name, address, email, and choose your stance (For, Against, or Neutral) By Mail: Send a written letter referencing the docket number (E-01345A-25-0105) to:Arizona Corporation Commission, Consumer Services Section, 1200 West Washington Street, Phoenix, AZ 85007 AZ Water is privately held so not salary information is available. <><><> SOUTHWEST GAS WANTS MO' MONEY TOO!Southwest Gas is asking the Arizona Corporation Commission for approximately $101 million in additional annual revenue. The company estimates its proposal would increase the average residential customer’s bill by a whopping 10.69%, about $5-$6 on your bill, following its most recent Arizona rate adjustment in March 2025. It too is seeking an annual Formula Rate Adjustment Mechanism. Submit a comment through the ACC Portal using this information: Company: Southwest Gas Corporation, Docket Number: G-01551A-26-0018, Against The CEO, Justin Brown, makes about $3.1 million a year. The newly retired former CEO was making about $10 million. ...............BISBEE ECONOMY............ Arizona Office of Tourism has in depth research stats. It is a good measure of where of current and historical visitation, taxes, and tourism impact. They include sales, national and state park visitation, airport traffic, and short term rentals. Go here <><><> TOURISM A marketing company has been signed. A tourism committee has been selected. Perhaps we can get on with the business of improving visitation...finally. The members of the tourism committee was appointed October 6, but have not yet, met are: Sonia Allen (Ward I) – 2-year term, Sarah Prochnau (Ward I) – 1-year term, Douglas Dunn (Ward II) – 2-year term , Stephen Moramarco (Ward II) – 1-year term, Sherrie Morgan (Ward III) – 2-year term, Jeremy Fricke (Ward III) – 1-year term, Susan Underhill (At-Large Member) – 2-year term. Mel Sowid has been named the liaison with the council, a role that is not managerial or directive, but facilitative. Hopefully the new mayor and council will not starve the advertising budget as has been done for the past many years by the now departed city manager, Steve Pauken, and former councils. I do believe that there is ample evidence, from the establishment of the initial bed tax in the early nineties and various council votes since that have raised percentages of the bed tax have all been worded very specifically, that that money was to be used for marketing overnight visitation. However there has been a flagrantly misuse of the bed tax for the past decades to promote an idea of tourism, using the bed tax, that has focused on a visitor center that services visitors already here. Hopefully that will finally be put to rest in 2027 with aggressive marketing of our city. A small functional visible visitor center is beneficial for in-town promotion; it need not be more. (I like Jeff V's idea of a trailer, painted by local artists, in the big parking lot.) And there is no need for a visitor center manager. <><> VISITOR CENTER CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND I'm trying to figure out what happened to the visitor center capital improvement fund. As of the June of 2026 financial report there was $156k+ in the fund. In the new 26/27 fiscal year, begun July 2026, the financial report no longer lists a line item for the Visitor Center fund, in the capital improvement fund. I know not where it went. Although the council voted to allocate $100k of that vc capital fund to Bisbee Bikeways-if needed. We were told it was not needed. However that money was not transfered from the VC capital improvement fund back into the bed tax. In the past month, an idea has been floated to pay for a third party inspector to travel from Tucson to Bisbee for the project and he/she would be paid from the vc capital improvement fund which is no longer listed. This is a clearly illegal use of bed tax funds and hopefully the council will not countenance spending that money for any, non-visitation use. (As mentioned above, the bed tax was to be used solely for promotion of overnight visitation. It has never been, and should not be, used for capital improvements. In the budget hearing for fy25/26, city manager Pauken and the council allocated $33,000 a month to be taken from the bed tax and put in a visitor center capital improvement fund, with the aim of building a visitor center at 30 Main. Then it was to be used for the Fair building. Then it was to be used for Bisbee Bikeways. It was never discussed to use the money for actual marketing. ) <><><> SALES TAXES I try to be careful when drawing conclusions from sales tax data because there are so many mitigating factors. It is truly unfortunate that there is scant stats for overnight visitation because then local/visitors could be sussed out a bit and the figures would show the impact, or lack, of visitation. In essence there are two economies, local and visitation with significant interplay. Bed and hotel taxes reflect visitation while food for home consumption and internet are mostly part of local buys. The overlap is the restaurant/bard taxes. When visitation is down and less people in town, that trickles through the local economy as businesses spend less on local supplies and maybe cut worker hours. Workers and owners then spend less on non-essentials such as music, eating out, alcohol, and more. When visitation is up, there is more discretionary money as employment ticks up, visitors spend money in stores, restaurants, and bars. that flows into the economy. The local economy is basically monthly essentials such as utilities, food, housing, and transportation. On top of that is insurance, home repair, healthcare. When money is flowing the non essentials such as home repair, remodeling, replacement, and redecorating, and 'going out' become possible. A comparison of the sales taxes for first quarter of the last fiscal years reveals sluggish growth that could be attributed to price increases in the supply chain, inflation, or other factors in addition to visitation. Generally July is ok for sales, August is very slow and September begins to pick up. The totals for the first quarters of the last three fiscal years Bed tax Hotels Restaurant/Bar Retail Grocery Internet 26/27 $67,740 $47,737 $78,916 $353,679 $164,163 $107,776 25/26 $58,351 $31,695 $131,190 $317,937 $158,417 $93,931 24/25 $59,35 $43,428 $123,302 $314,638 $154,696 $84,696 <><><> HOUSE SALES Bisbee housing market does not often conform to the national profiles. However, for comparison sake...At the national level the average 30-year mortgage rate jumped to 7.32% in late October from 6.32% in October 2025, according to Freddie Mac, the highest in almost three years. Pending home sales plunged 4% in September from a month earlier, the biggest decline in more than three years, to the lowest level since 2014 outside the early months of the 2020 Covid pandemic, according to seasonally adjusted data from brokerage Redfin. Meanwhile, the supply of homes for sale climbed to its highest level since March 2020.In September 2026, U.S. home prices were up 1.3% compared to last year. On average, the number of homes sold was down 4.3% year over year (redfin) (Bloomberg) Comparing the first fiscal year quarter of 26/27 and 25/26, there was a 19% increase in Sales over last fiscal year.In September, there were 10 houses sold, five for cash. Nine of the homes sold were for primary residences. Address sell $$ seller buyer DoM Loan Use 15 Black Knob $219,000 Phoenix Benson 56 VA primary 40 Cochise Row $250,000 Santa Fe Montana 192 cash primary 83 Maricopa Dr. $302,500 S. Vista Florida 41 cash primary 119 Star Av. $425,000 AZ Phoenix 97 FHA primary 110 Nighthawk $369,000 ID Bisbee 105 USDA primary 120 Naco Rd $620,000 PA AZ 171 seller rental 132 Brewery $267,000 Bisbee Alaska 17 cash primary 319 14th Terrace $276,300 SF, CA Bisbee 231 cash primary 407 Campbell $230,000 Bisbee Bisbee 4 cash primary 1151 Border Rd. $559,900 Bisbee Pinon/az 251 conv primary <><><> BUILDING PERMITS It's not particularly illustrative to compare 1st fy quarters because of the erraetive nature of the kind of work being done. For instance if a home is being built or a whole room added on, that will bump the amount of work being done for that month such as what happened in August/25 when there was more than $1 million in work being done with a chunk going to a new build. The permitting for Sept/26 reflects the kind of usual monthly electric and plumbing upgrades, as well as new roofs and plumbing, but no bigger builds. To give an idea the 1st quarter of fy 26/27 totaled $1,427,334. while the same period in 2025 was $2,165,211 with 20 less permits issued. ++++++++++ BUSINESS OWNERS...LIKE IT OR NOT, YOU ARE GOING TO HELP TRAIN META AI Earlier this month, Meta updated its commercial terms of use for business accounts to allow it to “use any content from such domains, web pages, or URLs to provide, develop, improve, research, train, and maintain the integrity of” Meta’s products. Meta buried this change in its Commercial Terms, and Nieman Lab first reported on the change. The update was originally set to go into effect on October 30, but following backlash, Meta changed the effective date to November 20. Many artists and small business owners that rely on Instagram and Facebook are livid at Meta granting itself permission to use their content, including from websites simply connected to their Meta accounts, to train AI. ..............COCHISE COUNTY................ WHOO HOOO, THE DATA CENTER BATTLE BEGINS IN SULPHUR SPRINGS VALLEY Although it has been shrouded in secrecy, the veil is being stripped away for a proposed data center near the Apache Generating Station in Cochise along Hwy 191. An application was turned in a few minutes before 5:00 pm on the 30th. To read the application, go here In preliminary research by local radio and internet SV company Coolfm, they claim that Space X is the major funder of Tombstone Resources LLC. It has not yet been verified by other sources but clearly some entity is funding them because data centers This article from Bo Hodai of Cochise Regional News has many of the details. It appears that the Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Coop (SSVEC) will be selling the electricity to Tombstone Resources, LLC (a company that was established in June/2026. incorporated in Wyoming in July/2026, and apparantly is based Atlanta GA). Arizona Electric Power Cooperative’s (AEPCO) owns the Apache Generating Station and about 400 acres of the land around it that they would sell to the data center. SSVEC sells the electricity generated by the power plant. An additional 300+ acres has or will be purchased. According to the letter sent to surrounding property owners, "... the proposed data center will consist of nine 39-foot-tall prefabricated “supercomputing buildings,” as well as “associated electrical buildings, an operations and security building, and outdoor equipment yards for dry coolers, transformers, and battery energy storage.” According to the application, when completed the data center build out demand will be about 6 gigawatts (6,000 megawatts) to be built in four stages. The costs of a project of this size vary enormously because so many factors are included. I searched using two different AI queries and this was one estimate of costs...The application outlines a massive 6-gigawatt (6,000 MW) ultimate capacity. At 2026 standard greenfield rates ($17.6M/MW), constructing the physical infrastructure for a site of that scale would command an estimated $105.6 billion all-in project cost. This matches the scale of their initial $3.6 billion layout just for localized grid and substation improvements. (An interesting side note is that Mike Thornton had the CEO of SSVEC on his KBRP show last year and he claimed they would not be selling electricity to data centers.) ++++++++++ MO' MONEY FOR DA JAIL? Cochise County supervisors have added $30 million to the price of building a new jail. In a vote of 2-1 (Crosby the no) the supes expanded the price without adding where the dough will come from. The initial estimate was $130 million, but now it’s looking more like $160 million. A general fund bond, which wouldn’t require them to go back, yet again, to the public and ask for more money, was discussed. No action was taken on where the funding will come from. ++++++++++ COUNTY LAND FOR SALE The County's 2026 Over-the-Counter Tax Deed Land Sale is now underway! Until the sale closes on December 18, 2026, members of the public can submit offers on tax-deeded properties that remained unsold during the County's previous land sale. Go here for more info. ++++++++++ SCREWWORM FOUND IN DOG IN COCHISE COUNTY The only AZ case of New World screwworm has been found in a ranch dog from Cochise County. An infected wound was found on the animal on Oct. 27, and a lab at Iowa State University confirmed it on Oct. 28.The dog has since recovered.There is other livestock in the area, so the department established an "infested zone" where authorities can monitor adult fly populations and contain the flesh-eating parasite, according to State Veterinarian Dr. Ryan Wolker. The actual location in the county was not disclosed. The Dept. of Agriculture encourages livestock owners, livestock auctions, processing facilities, pet owners, animal shelters, hunters, and other allied stakeholders to be extremely vigilant and observant with animals in their care or custody. If any unusual wounds are noticed that appear to be infested with maggots consistent with NWS, please report those immediately to diseasereporting@azda.gov or by calling 602-542-4293 during business hours 8:00AM-5:00PM Monday through Friday. Similarly, if hunters or other outdoor recreationists encounter wildlife that appear to be infested, please contact the Arizona Game and Fish Department at 623-236-7201. Please ensure that GPS coordinates of the approximate location of the wildlife are captured. .....A HANDBOOK OF LESSONS FROM BRAZIL..... This is about what happened to get Lulu elected and Bolsonaro booted to Florida. Written by a participant. This piece outlines what Lula supporters did in Brazil to successfully win in the second round of voting, thus saving Brazil (and the Amazon Rainforest.) Go here for the full blast. #1: Find out what you can do best; and DO IT #2: DO NOT ENGAGE THE ALT-RIGHT! #3: Do not try to convince those who are lost #4: Do not waste allies #5: Occupy every space #6: FUCKING SHOW UPIf I have to argue against one more gringo about the need to fucking get your ass out of the sofa and GO VOTE, I’m gonna start biting people. Do you see the videos of our elders going to the polls? Do you see the videos of people coming by boats? Do you see indigenous people marching to vote? Do you see it?! I saw elders being carried in the arms of their family to the polls when they couldn’t walk. I saw friends driving across the country in 2 days to vote. I organized with friends to pay bus fares to people who will never know my name. When the politicians in Salvador took the buses from the streets so people couldn’t reach the polls, I saw getting their cars and stopping at the bus stops to carry complete strangers to their voting place. DO NOT MAKE ME ARGUE WITH YOU ABOUT THIS AGAIN. YES, THIS IS FOR THE AMERICANS SPECIALLY. GO. FUCKING. VOTE. Show up! Help your friends, help your family, help your neighbors show up. You do not have the excuse after this. Yes, you’re gonna tell me the Democrats are terrible, that they’re all the same, and guess what?? People were saying the SAME EXACT THING in Brazil. Believe it or not, Lula is not considered left-wing enough or good enough by a huge amount of the left. Me included. I’ve been wanting someone better for a decade now. He is known for making concessions to right-wingers, and he’s too soft on the military, and he is still a huge believer in capitalism and infinite growth. I wanted someone better. Most of my friends wanted someone better. This does not matter. We went and did everything included to get this guy elected. Listen, we all know capitalism and USA imperialism are a boot on our necks. But, and I can’t believe I have to tell you this, if you have a choice between two boots, PICK THE ONE WHO STEPS LIGHTER ON YOUR NECK. Fucking hell. Pick the least worst option, and FUCKING GO. You can organize the revolution later, but you cannot organize the revolution dead. Pick the one who’s gonna give you more breathing room to work your way out of capitalism. ...............EVERYTHING ELSE................ HEALTH COVERAGE DECREASING, MEDICAL DEBT INCREASING"Between 2010 and 2025, the U.S. uninsured rate fell by half, from nearly 16 percent to 8 percent, largely as a result of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) coverage expansions and expanded premium subsidies for marketplace plans.1 But in 2025, policy changes advanced by the Trump administration and Congress led to the biggest cuts to Medicaid and the ACA marketplaces since the law’s passage. The combined effects of these changes are expected to drive the number of uninsured people to 37 million by 2036 — about the same as in 2014, when most of the ACA’s changes took effect.2 At the same time, rapid growth in health costs is making both insurance and care even less affordable — and contributing to medical debt — for Americans across the country.3" This from a definitive article in the Commonwealth Fund. Go here for the stats. .............. WORD............... Word Odyssey Britt Hanson
A Murder of Crows and Other Terms of Venery Everyone knows that a group of lions is called a “pride”. But why? And why is a gang of geese called a gaggle, at least when they’re on the ground, and a skein of geese when they’re in flight? And how about a murder of crows, a wake of buzzards, a parade of elephants and an aerie of eagles? We could just as easily refer to a group of crows, buzzards, elephants and eagles. So what’s up with all these fanciful names? Giving distinctive names to groups of animals goes back to a medieval English hunting tradition, as recorded in the Book of St. Albans printed in 1486. They’re called terms of venery, a word you don’t hear every day. It’s from Latin for hunting, which found its way into French, and from there into Middle English. You’ll recognize the same root in venison, the flesh of deer. (I should point out that venerate and venereal disease have a completely different origin; they’re from Venus, the Goddess of Love).
When gentlemen hunters began giving these non-intuitive names to aggregations of animals, their knowledge of these names distinguished them from, you know, the knaves. To show his good breeding a gentleman would keep a copy of the Book of St. Albans on his shelf and learn all the proper hunting terms. The tradition of giving imaginative names to assemblages of animals caught the fancy of enthusiasts, so we’ve now got a covey of grouse, a mob of kangaroo, a smack of jellyfish, a bed of clams, a clan of hyenas, a skulk of foxes, a coterie of prairie dogs, a clowder of cats, a parliament of owls, a paddling of ducks, a pod of dolphins, a school of fish and dozens more. With some terms of venery you can maybe guess how someone came up with the word. Buzzards eat carrion, so a group of them may look like they’re attending a wake. Because of their sinister appearance, crows have long been associated with evil and death, so you might infer how a bunch of them came to be called a murder. Lions are proud looking animals; hence, a pride. Owls look wise, so parliament is apt to describe a group of them. Covey is simply a French word for a brood or hatchlings. Paddling for a bunch of ducks seems self-evident. The word skein originally meant a length of yarn or thread wound in a coil, so describing airborne geese as a skein is fairly fitting. However, as far as anyone can tell gaggle for a group of earthbound geese was just made up, probably catching on because of the pleasing alliteration of saying a gaggle of geese. Gaggle also began being used for a gathering of women, but I’m not going to get into why that might have caught on. An aerie for eagles is just a fancy Latin-based word for a nest, but with a more pleasing alliteration. Coterie for prairie dogs comes from a French word for a cluster of peasants holding land from a feudal lord. A school of fish originally was a shoal, for shallow water, but a mistake (or change) in spelling led to school. Some terms of venery were adopted simply because of their poetry. The most famous is an exaltation of larks, a poetic reference to the melodious song of that avian species. When James Lipton wrote a book on the history of terms of venery, he endearingly entitled it “Exaltation of Larks.” As Lipton observes, people have so enjoyed terms of venery that they’ve given fun names to groups other than animals. A bunch of arrows is a quiver, from that little dance that arrows do when they hit their target. A band of single men on the prowl is a score of bachelors. A gathering of prostitutes has been called a jam of tarts or a flourish of strumpets. Terms of venery can easily become something of a game. In Bisbee, I’ve heard a clique of women called a gulch of girls. ++++++++++ |
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