OT - Just something to spark conversation

[TheEqualizer]

I thought some people would enjoy debating whether this is correct:

QUOTE

A Supermarket Sign Which Reads '10 Items Or Less' Should Not Make a Reasonable Person Cry

Many people claim that supermarket checkout signs should actually read "10 Items Or Fewer" and that a sign that reads "10 Items Or Less" is incorrect, and a sign of a poor education or low breeding.
"Why don't you just scrawl it on the floor in feces?"
This stems from a widely taught old rule which basically states that the word less should be restricted to describing items which aren't countable, as in:
"Please pour less hot wax in my underpants."
That makes grammatical sense, because 'wax' doesn't really have any obvious units that are countable. When dealing with items which are countable, the word fewer should be used:
"Please pour fewer fire ants in my underpants."
The problem with that is that it ignores the billions of times less has been used to describe countable things throughout English history. Although the excitable grammar people are correct that using fewer in place of less rarely makes sense, swapping less in for fewer almost always results in an unobjectionable sentence. And indeed, when we look at historical usage, this use of less to describe countable objects goes way back, to at least 1481. Considering the difficulty in determining whether some objects are countable or not, and the fact that more doesn't have to put up with any of this bullshit, it would seem that English speakers have been using less more or less however they felt like for a few hundred years now, and we still haven't even come close to living through the more interesting parts of The Road Warrior yet.

END QUOTE

This comes from http://www.cracked.com/blog/7-commonly- ... -mistakes/

[TheEqualizer]

I'd post the other items from that article but I feel this would cause a firestorm that would lead to a Jenna-esque banning of me from the site.
(was it Jenna or Jemma?)

[63falcon]

Speechless......sorry EQ! Hey, how's everything out west? We had an early spate of yucky hot/humid weather, but now a nice cool sunny Spring here in Cinci. Am hoping the Summer bodes well for the music scene, but haven't had anyone other than the Psych. Furs get me to crack open that wallet, oh well. You and the family take care!

[ltwoman]

EQ, have you been drinking again? Do we need to arrange for an intervention or something?

[Lord Byron]

Hey Equalizer, I think I know what the controversy is, but seems to me everyone stirs up controversy here. As I said, I've been following this site for a long time. It'd be cool if people could lighten up. After all, is anyone perfect?

[TheEqualizer]

It has been 20 degrees hotter than normal here in Vegas and so we just missed hitting 100 the other day. And the AC in my office was on the blink the last 2 days. Cooling off, though.

By the way, this post is aimed mostly at DM (though I know a few other who may me interested as well) and not seriously expected to cause any controversy.

[63falcon]

yeah, back home in VA plenty of 100+ days-but in June/July/August, not April. Here in OH, only 3 actual 100 or +days in all the years living here, and it cools down to 70-75 at night, fantastic! Had a few rock climbing buddies relocate y'all's way, lot's of that in the cooler months, quite an outdoor scene.
Take care!

[luna_virgo]

Hot wax should be poured on skin (if you're into that sort of thing), not in underpants. Fire ants should have insecticide poured on them.

Just sayin'.

[moonstone]

[quote="TheEqualizer"]Considering the difficulty in determining whether some objects are countable or not,[/quote]

Any more than four of five fire ants would be very difficult to count. They just don't keep still long enough. If you must put bitey/stingy type things down your drawers (and who am I to judge a person on their hobbies and pastimes?) then maybe a few scorpions would be a better choice.

Just my opinion anyway.

[TheEqualizer]

I'm ill
http://www.cracked.com/funny-5647-fonts/

[ltwoman]

You are too funny, EQ. Although I do use Courier New.
Record high temps still, I suppose? That'll do it. Maybe we should rebrand this thread "What are the temps outside? How high will it go?"
Hello from (freezing) Virginia.

[TheEqualizer]

Illness continues
http://www.youtube.com/user/HowToBasic

[Susan]

EQ you cannot post something debating the use of "fewer" versus "less" and not expect controversy. I think those of us who'd be in the midst of it are just too busy right now to engage. But it was amusing nonetheless!

[smudge]

1481?! They were still burning witches in my neighborhood back then. I'm not taking no language advice from witch-immolators (is that a word?).

[Howstupidmrbates]

This doesn't get me as upset as when people don't know the difference between there, their or they're.

Ay carumba, I hate that!