On Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:45:40 -0500, msg wrote:

Quid pro quo, I am frustrated by the British (and Commenwealth?) usage
of company names as plural, as in 'Hewlett Packard _have_ good tech support"
instead of "Hewlett Packard _has_ good tech support". A 'company' is
a singular noun.

Yes but a collective singular which is taken to represent a multitude.
I find this particular usage amusing and no stranger than employing
"the United States" as a singular.

Kal