[OT] readability (was Re: [plug] stripping potentially nasty attachments)

[Cameron Patrick]

James Devenish wrote:

| With regards to "is/are", it common in Australia to prefer that
| collective nouns be treated as singular, rather than plural. For
| example, "Microsoft is" rather than "Microsoft are" and "the Howard
| government is" rather than "the Howard government are". Perhaps this
| contributes to the is/are issue.

I find myself using either singular or plural, probably due to some
indeterministic algorithm for "what sounds better".

| I also don't understand the US phrases "the hell with it"

This one doesn't make much sense to me either.  On a somewhat related
note, since when has "Enjoy!" been an intransitive verb?

| and "I could care less".

Ahh, I can explain this one.  'tis sarcasm.

| /Surely/ Australians make far more sense with "to hell with it"
| and "I couldn't care less".

Of course we make more sense than the rest of the world.  Having spent
almost all of my life in Australia, my opinion wouldn't be even
slightly biassed in the matter. :-P

Cameron.