Dolts! That's a singular!

The BBQ Pit
1

Wow, I never thought of myself as a grammar nazi, but this is getting really irritating.

More and more I’ve been hearing people treating the names of companies, organizations and other groups as if they were plural.

For example,
Microsoft are planning to release Windows Server 2003.
The MPAA have less of a hold on government in England.
The Senate are in the process of voting on the President’s tax-cut plan.

This is driving me nuts! It sounds completely wrong and rather awkward. And it’s not just ordinary morons that are doing this - I’ve heard it on the CBS radio station and even CNN recently. These people talk for a living - how did they suddenly pick up this idiotic habit.

2

Maybe it’s sort of a faux-Britishism. The Brits, after all, say things like “The government are issuing new regulations…”

3

They also say things like “He was sent to Hospital.” They don’t use the?

4

Curse those bloody Brits! Always mucking about with the language as if they’re on holiday or some such…

5

Early Out – it’s not a faux Britishism, it’s a real one. Brit English, especially as heard on the BBC, almost invariably treats collective nouns as plural, whereas we Yanks tend to use the singular.

See this thread for an example.

6

Yes, but can you explain alu-MINNY-um and jag-YOU-ar?

So, is “Media” plural or singular?

7

Media is the plural of medium. However, it has become almost accepted practive to treat it as a singular.

8

What about talking about “On the month of April, did you travel,” etc.? What happened to in the month? He’s traveling around on top of a calendar???

This is one I’ve heard a BUNCH of lawyers use in depositions recently. Driving me NUTS. It’s a new thing, only cropped up in the last few months.

The language is going to hell, whichever side of the Big Pond you’re on.

9

What I meant was that, if an American is doing it, it’s “faux,” and just a bit too precious. If a Brit’s doing it, it’s the real thing. I’m assuming that Mister V, being from the Nutmeg State, is hearing this on U.S. broadcast media.