Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/17/84; site opus.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!hao!nbires!opus!rcd From: rcd@opus.UUCP (Dick Dunn) Newsgroups: net.misc Subject: Re: Is English decaying rapidly? Message-ID: <185@opus.UUCP> Date: Wed, 30-Oct-85 05:05:08 EST Article-I.D.: opus.185 Posted: Wed Oct 30 05:05:08 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 1-Nov-85 03:14:41 EST References: <1427@cae780.UUCP> <10600197@uiucdcs> <197@bnrmtv.UUCP> <1044@jhunix.UUCP> Organization: NBI,Inc, Boulder CO Lines: 24 > >A recurring source of irritation to me is all the supermarket signs which > >say "x items or less" rather than "x items or FEWER". > > That is shorthand for "X items or less than X items". It isn't a mistake. AAARRRGGHHHHH. We just found another one. Yes, it IS a mistake. The difference between "less" and "fewer" is that "less" refers to a measure of a continuous quantity while "fewer" refers to a smaller number of discrete objects. For example, your gin&tonic may have less gin in it than you like. It may not have fewer gin than you like. On the other hand, you may drink fewer gin&tonics than I have. You may not drink less gin&tonics than I have. Of course, the situation is muddied by the fact that "more" is an acceptable opposite of both "less" and "fewer". However, my current gin&tonic contains no gin at all, so... -- Dick Dunn {hao,ucbvax,allegra}!nbires!rcd (303)444-5710 x3086 ...At last it's the real thing...or close enough to pretend.