technically correct subject-verb agreement

[Arnold M. Zwicky]

On Dec 30, 2004, at 10:50 AM, i wrote:

>>>> Going to his house was what I lived for. There were liquor, music,
>>>> and
>>>> a strong desire for my body.
>
> just to remind people: this isn't a vote on what the "real" grammar of
> english is, or should be...

and now, from the same book as the first quote (J.L. King, On the Down
Low, p. 159), this:
-----
The need [for a DL connection] and strong desire to make that
connection overrides all common sense.
-----

this one has agreement with the nearest (either the embedded
"connection" or the head "desire" of the second conjunct, you can't
really tell), and i don't like it; i want "override".

my guess is that a copyeditor "fixed" the first one, but just failed to
catch the second.

arnold