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AIBU?

Fewer bees

47 replies

Dawndonna · 03/10/2012 14:37

less honey.
Yep, I am being unreasonable, but it's basics and gets on my bloody nerves.

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TheVermiciousKnid · 03/10/2012 14:49

YANBU.

Pedants with 5 complaints or less fewer please cue queue hear here.

(Unless I've spectacularly missed the point and this thread is actually about the decline in the bee population. In which case YABU. Grin)

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RubyStolenBootyGates · 03/10/2012 14:50

Fewer gins, less tonic.

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TheVermiciousKnid · 03/10/2012 14:51

Fewer pedants, less sense.

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FredFredGeorge · 03/10/2012 14:58

But it's not grammar, it's a stylistic choice which you (presumably your teachers) have chosen to invent into a rule of grammar. It's modern (traced back to just 1770) and there's nothing confusing about it, complaining about it just shows off your own rigidity and lack of choice in writing style.

Do you follow all of the stylistic choices of Robert Baker - or just that one?

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Dawndonna · 03/10/2012 14:58

Grin Vermicious No, I am not actually discussing the bee population!

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Sallyingforth · 03/10/2012 15:01

Fewer apostrophes, less mistake's.

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TheVermiciousKnid · 03/10/2012 15:05

That's a relief, DawnDonna. Grin

FredFredGeorge, I'm ignoring your post as it's messing with my pedant's certainty and I'm in danger of melt down.

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CogitoErgoSometimes · 03/10/2012 15:36

YANBU. Once you're conscious of that particular rule, the violations are everywhere.

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Lonecatwithkitten · 03/10/2012 15:40

Decline in right type of plants, increased urbanisation and Varrowa mites been going on for several years.
Posting on MN won't help plant the right type of plants in your garden might. My garden was filled with honey bees all summer.

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hlipop · 03/10/2012 15:42

we had loads this summer as we have a patch in our garden where we planted wildflowers last year so we have had lots of bee's and butterflys =]]

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TheVermiciousKnid · 03/10/2012 16:55

Quite. Sow seeds, save a pendant pedant!

Thanks

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OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 03/10/2012 17:15

I don't want there to be fewer bees. I like honey.

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VeritableSmorgasbord · 03/10/2012 17:19

It's "less bees."

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CogitoErgoSometimes · 03/10/2012 17:21

Fewer bees.

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TheVermiciousKnid · 03/10/2012 17:22
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VeritableSmorgasbord · 03/10/2012 17:22

Less bees.

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Dawndonna · 03/10/2012 17:26

If it can be counted it's fewer.

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VeritableSmorgasbord · 03/10/2012 17:59

You can't count bees. There are too many. Hence 'less'.

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Dawndonna · 03/10/2012 18:04

Grin Veritable
Fewer.

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FlibberdeGibbet · 03/10/2012 18:10

You may not actually be able to count the, because the little buggers won't stay still, but theoretically they can be counted, therefore there are indeed FEWER bees making LESS honey.

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FlibberdeGibbet · 03/10/2012 18:11

And indeed varroa and total colony collapse (I think that last bit is right) are decimating the bee population - and soon there will be no natural pollenators left, and we'll all be going to hell in a handcart.

(I have an opinion on everything!)

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TheVermiciousKnid · 03/10/2012 18:14

There are too many.

Exactly, there are too many, not too much. In theory you can count them, therefore it's many bees and fewer bees. If it's less bees you would also have to say much bees.

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TalcAndTurnips · 03/10/2012 18:18

Don't forget that for every one of those bees, there are six knees.

That's an awful lot of bees' knees.

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VeritableSmorgasbord · 03/10/2012 18:19

Less bees
Less bees
Less bee-age
Grin

Sorry, I've always wanted to do that on MN
hardly anyone says fewer and it is a LOVELY thing to see

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TheVermiciousKnid · 03/10/2012 18:21

I like less bee-age, it's got a certain ring to it. Grin Or maybe less beer? Or fewer beers? Confused

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