one less?

[mimsum]

OK - can you settle an argument with DH please? We agree that it should be "fewer kittens", however we diverge on whether or not it should be "one less kitten" (me) or "one fewer kitten" (DH). I'm pretty sure I'm right, but then so's he and he will only be convinced by seeing it in print ...

OK, not 100% but I think you're right.

It would be "I have fewer kittens than you" but pretty sure it would be "I have one less kitten than you".

It's one fewer. You've already realised it's fewer kittens. Same rules apply once you start to enumerate the kittens concerned. Your DH is right.

This was interesting if not exactly definitive

It's "fewer" if you can count the object, "less" if you cannot. So "I wish she'd use less perfume" is correct, as is "Eight items or fewer".

Kittens are countable so it's "fewer".