The OED (Oxford English Dictionary) has confirmed in its latest release that the collective noun for a group of one or more Karens is a ‘Complaint‘.
There are collective nouns for all sorts of different animals, some are well known and some are less obvious. For example, you have a Pride of Lions, a Murder of Crows, and a Stench of Trumps. In an effort to keep itself updated with the latest changes in the English language, the OED has now added the collective noun for a group of Karens: A Complaint.
For those not in the know, a ‘Karen‘ is a white woman of privilege who believes she is entitled to everything, and is often seen demanding to see the manager of her local store, bank, cinema (delete as applicable).
When one or more Karens get together, there had previously not been a suitable collective noun to describe the horror. Some suggestions in an online poll included a Poison of Karens, a Demanding of Karens and a Stain of Karens. However, after much deliberation the OED has confirmed the collective noun is now, officially, a Complaint of Karens.
Professor Jan King Hisnoboff, from the OED, commented:
Whenever more than one Karens congregates the result is always the same, complaining. Whatever the social situation, somewhere, somehow, someone will always demand to see the manager. Therefore it had to be a complaint of Karens.
We asked a Karen for comment on this announcement from the OED, but she immediately demanded to speak to the editor-in-chief of The Chester Bugle, so she’s currently on hold on our phone in the drawer.
