Beeblebrox, if emptying trash hangs, force-quit the Finder. No need to reboot.
Faintdreams, you can switch to a REAL English dictionary by making British English the top list item in the Language tab of the International system pref pane.
I strongly second gervaiso who suggested Apple buy Quicksilver. Without a doubt the most useful interface enhancement I've found. If you haven't already, download it now. You won't regret it!
How Could OS X Be Improved?