Shouting at the telly: part II

[branflake81]

Further to previous post re broccoli, I also feel compelled to hurl invective at those who use "less" when they quite obviously mean "fewer".

Less people
Less apples
Less schools

I frequently make OH jump awake from his sofa based slumbers by yelling "FEWER!!" at the 10 o'clock news.

[southeastastra]

i don't really get this, can you explain? why is less wrong :S

[AMumInScotland]

It's "fewer" for separate things you can count - like apples - and "less" for things you can't - like flour or water.

And that's why the "5 items or less" aisle always has pedants fizzing....

[southeastastra]

thanks

[sasquatch]

I don't shout at the telly, but do note that M+S is the only supermarket that has a fast checkout for "five items or fewer". My old dad used to like pointing out this frequent mistake in Asda to anyone he could get to listen to him.

[RosaIsRed]

I do shout at the television, and I had to bite my lip not to shout at the person with an important job in education who made this error in a recent meeting. I fear for our children.

[reikizen]

Wow, the things you learn on Mumsnet.

[Go]

I shout at presenters who say "aks" instead of "ask". Why oh why oh why?

[RosaIsRed]

This is why I hardly watch television. I spend most of my time muttering why oh why to myself.

[catok]

I take great pride in being a pedant, and am training my children to be as good/bad!
Less/fewer is one of my favourites.
Another is "our top story tonight is.." - an earthquake or bomb is a story? AIBU?
Why "there is many" instead of "there are many" as it is a plural?

[SheikYerbouti]

I think you'll find the title should read Shouting at the telly: Part II

[cornsilk]

Or even shouting at the television : Part 11.

[BarcodeZebra]

Catok: how about this then: "The police have named the suspect...." No they haven't, the suspect's parents named him. The police have given his name as...

GRRRRR