I know we've talked about the use of "the faculty is" versus "are" or the "staff is" versus "are." But this is a new one on me. In a newspaper article someone wrote: "This couple are not young," speaking of a married couple.

Would you say that?

That would be my preference. "The couple is not young," would indicate to me that the actual pairing is of short duration (an unlikely usage) whereas "the couple are not young" would indicate to me that both of them are aged.

It's exactly the same situation that we've seen before with these collective nouns. If you are speaking of the singular entity represented by the group, you need a singular verb. If you are speaking collectively of the members of the group you need a plural verb.

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If you are speaking collectively of the members of the group you need a plural verb.

UK, not US. We do the opposite.
And, even as I wrote that, this thought appeared. We seem to differentiate on the basis of whether we refer to a proper noun. Today's paper said, "The Red Sox are leaving for Florida and spring training." Later, in the same story, "...the team is leaving at ..."

In the UK a newspaper would have written "the team are ..."

All of the names of athletic teams that I can think of are plural. Athletics, Red Sox (Socks), Packers, Bears, Dodgers, Redskins, et cėtera.

Each of those entities is a team.

"Team" is a singular noun. In the American dialect singular nouns take singular verbs, but the UK dialect is different. There, such singular nouns as team, crew, faculty, staff ... take plural verbs.

This is one of many significant differences between US and UK English.

Generally, in British English, when we are talking about the entity (sporting team, whatever) as a whole, we would use the singular, but when we are thinking of the individual members we would use the plural. For example, Arsenal Football Club has a ground in north London, and The Arsenal team play in north London. The dividing line, however, is very blurred.

Sports reports in newspapers almost always use the plural, presumably to make things simpler.

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All of the names of athletic teams that I can think of are plural. Athletics, Red Sox (Socks), Packers, Bears, Dodgers, Redskins, et cėtera.

I know very little about sport of any kind, but most of the football teams I can think of immediately are singular - Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea...

Arsenal sounds like a perfect name for the limerick game.

Rather than start a new thread for this trivality, I'm posting it here.

There has been a continuing ad on TV for a law firm which asks you to call, "If you or a loved one has been sickened or died from the effects of ....."

I can understand how to call if a loved one was hurt, but how do I call if I have died from it?

Oh, Proof, that is so funny! I've heard that ad, too, but it just didn't occur to me.