...to get cross every time I see "10 items or less"

[Tech]

It should be "fewer". I once wrote a long message to the CEO of M&S on this very subject, but didn't send it after one of my colleagues told me I was a "very sad individual indeed". Hmm. Still bugs me though.... maybe we should have "pedants corner" in addition to this topic...

[MrsGordonRamsay]

It drives me potty.

[VeniVidiVickiQV]

LOL. We should. But, with the option to "exclude Pedants corner"

It would give Twiglett and Hunker somewhere to skulk, and the rest of us folk could tick the box and not have to hear it .

[mellowma]

Message withdrawn

[TeeCee]

You are a very sad individual indeed, but then you already know that!

[ledodgy]

It pisses me off too especially when I only have eleven!

[WanderingTrolley]

For the purposes of revenge (in my mind) I have been known to

a) have more than 10 items in my basket - if they can't write I can't count so phthphthphthphth

b) have 10 items, but more than one of some of them. An apple is one item. A box of tissues is one item. 4 apples is four of one item. It's tenuous, but you should never argue with a pedant.

10 items or less.
They are all bastards.

[mellowma]

Message withdrawn

[WanderingTrolley]

Sobernow, round 'ere we say

"I'm eating your food"

[ghosty]

Tech ... you are spending far too much time in your shed

[Posey]

Was in Sainsburys with dh today (rare for us to be there together). Anyway it was really busy and an announcement came on...
"sorry you are experienceing long queues at the checkouts today. Please be reminded that if you have 10 items or less you can use the express checkout, and 5 items or less you can pay at the tobacco kiosk".
Dh and I simultaneously turned to each other with raised eyebrows and a kind of "should I tell them or you" look
I caught my pedantry off him.

[VeniVidiVickiQV]

Sobernow, its "one less mouth to feed".

[Bekks]

Our M&S seems to have got it right now.

Asda has "about 10 items", which grammatically and practically is so much better!

Numberjacks (CBeebies weird programme) had one of the characters saying "one less, one less" - how rubbish on an "educational" programme. Also Tikkabilla had "tallest" comparing two people!

[VeniVidiVickiQV]

Well, I thought fewer was used when you knew the definitive number you were referring to.

When it is not clear on quantities, then less should be used.

[Aloha]

Totally reasonable...but I thought M&S had changed it to fewer after getting complaints?

[VeniVidiVickiQV]

Not to me it wasnt

Its less for me, and fewer for him

[Aloha]

It's not so much the exact number being know, it is the fact that the thing referred to can be devided into numbers - so you have 'less rain' but 'fewer raindrops'.

[VeniVidiVickiQV]

But if you dont know the starting number?

[Aloha]

oh heck, I meant divided, of course. Pesky typos. Pesky wine.

[VeniVidiVickiQV]

So i was right then but had it back to front? LOL!

[twelveyeargap]

I don't think you would be able get me out of Pedants' Corner, should one be set up.

Obviously I wouldn't join unless they had the apostrophe correctly placed.