You know what other sorta-plural noun you can use with singular verbs?

Data. You don't have to, but you can (at least according to The American Collegiate Dictionary's usage panel).

Oh, and I have another grammar issue to address: The use of plural verbs with singular nouns that denote groups. Have I talked about this with you guys already?

I first noticed folks using plural verbs this way in England (The band are late for their gig). They were so consistent about it that I assumed it was one of those things that's considered correct on one side of the ocean when it's incorrect on the other. But a year or two ago, a friend sent me a British article wherein people described their grammatical pet peeves, and this was in there. According to the article, it's correct to use singular verbs when the noun itself is singular, even when the noun denotes a group -- and even if that group is in England. That bunch of grapes is sour. His family has no respect for his career as a monkey trainer. Congress is deadlocked.

The article then said that BBC guidelines make exceptions for bands (as in musical groups) and sports teams. I confess I'm not a huge fan of these exceptions, because we get a feel for language by hearing it, and this just puts noun-verb disagreement into people's heads as something that sounds right all the time.

As with just about everything else grammatical, I'm not going to go around interrupting people in mid-sentence just to correct them on this. Which means it will probably just get worse, and I'll have to deal with it. So thanks for putting up with my blog posts about it. Apart from family conversations at holidays, I might not have many other chances to vent about this stuff.

Does that make my family weird? If so, my family is weird. Not my family are weird.