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From: suem@ihopb.UUCP (Sue McKinnell)
Newsgroups: net.misc
Subject: Re: Is English decaying rapidly?
Message-ID: <721@ihopb.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 30-Oct-85 09:03:02 EST
Article-I.D.: ihopb.721
Posted: Wed Oct 30 09:03:02 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 2-Nov-85 02:23:23 EST
References: <1427@cae780.UUCP> <10600197@uiucdcs> <197@bnrmtv.UUCP> <1044@jhunix.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 17

>In article <197@bnrmtv.UUCP> perkins@bnrmtv.UUCP (Henry Perkins) writes:
>>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

It *is* a mistake.  The correct expression if "X items or *fewer* than
X items."  When the quantity is countable, the word is fewer,
when the quantity is not countable, the word is less.  (This is
also one of my pet peeves.)
-- 

Sue McKinnell
...!ihnp4!ihopb!suem
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