Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site bnrmtv.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!oliveb!3comvax!bnrmtv!perkins From: perkins@bnrmtv.UUCP (Henry Perkins) Newsgroups: net.misc Subject: Re: Is English decaying rapidly? Message-ID: <202@bnrmtv.UUCP> Date: Wed, 30-Oct-85 18:07:36 EST Article-I.D.: bnrmtv.202 Posted: Wed Oct 30 18:07:36 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 2-Nov-85 07:06:22 EST References: <1427@cae780.UUCP> <10600197@uiucdcs> <197@bnrmtv.UUCP> <1044@jhunix.UUCP> Organization: Bell Northern Research, Mtn. View, CA Lines: 20 > >A recurring source of irritation to me is all the supermarket signs which > >say "x items or less" rather than "x items or FEWER". > >{hplabs,amdahl,3comvax}!bnrmtv!perkins --Henry Perkins > > That is shorthand for "X items or less than X items". It isn't a mistake. > Kenneth Arromdee > ..{decvax,ihnp4,allegra}!seismo!umcp-cs!aplvax!aplcen!jhunix!ins_akaa Sorry, but it should be "X items or fewer (than X items)". Fewer is correct for things which are countable (i.e., with integers); less is used with things which must be measured instead. Thus "less than 1.5 quarts of milk" and "fewer than 7 bicycles". You wouldn't refer to .14567 bicycles or 5 milks, nor would you use 2.375 items. If you can answer yes to "Does it make sense to think of 2.3 whatevers?" or "Do I need to qualify whatever by weight/mass/volume/etc?" you should use less. Otherwise, use fewer. -- {hplabs,amdahl,3comvax}!bnrmtv!perkins --Henry Perkins