why do the British...

[bydesign77]

...treat nouns, like cities and companies like plural nouns?

There was a FB post from Top Gear that says "Nissan are releasing" and I've heard them refer to teams like Manchester as a plural, too. So why do we do it differently? It doesn't sound right to my American ear.

I'm sure I should know the answer, but I don't.

 

[LongTimeListener]

... Not brush their teeth?

 

[imjustagirl]

... sound so ******* awesome?

 

[slappy4428]

... eat prawn-flavoured chips?

 

[Buck]

It's an extension of the collective noun idea.

If you are writing a headline about the Miami Heat, you would use a plural verb because Heat would be a collective noun.
Heat choke rather than Heat chokes.

 

[dooley_womack1]

apologize before entering?

 

[imjustagirl]

apologize before entering?

In my experience, they should apologize before and after exiting.

Wait, what?

 

[Brooklyn Bridge]

Pronounce schedule like shh-edule instead of sked-ule?

 

[novelist_wannabe]

... drive on the left side of the road?

... eat spotted ****?

 

[Rumpleforeskin]

apologize before entering?

In my experience, they should apologize before and after exiting.

Wait, what?

I don't know how to take that.

 

[Bodie_Broadus]

...think Mr. Bean is funny.

 

[User 1019]

... have such terrible food?

 

[dooley_womack1]

like to put their lips around a hot fag?

 

[doogie448]

make better television than Americans?

 

[imjustagirl]

like to put their lips around a hot fag?

Didn't know you were British, dools.

 

[dooley_womack1]

I'm not, and I don't smoke, either.

 

[Chef2]

host a NFL Football game every year?

 

[dooley_womack1]

call Chef a bloody nine-toed nutter?

 

[JR]

think Americans are like Canadians but more annoying?

 

[murphyc]

...not know how to spell words like tire and neighbor?

In regards to the OP, how many times have American broadcasters mixed single and plural references? It doesn't happen just on the other side of the pond.