This is an updated version of a previous Grammar Gourmet that has remained a hot topic, including finding its way into the world of sports in July as Greg Maddux’s National Baseball Hall of Fame plaque included this grammar mistake.
Question: I went to my 40th high school reunion recently, and I lamented to one of my old classmates, “Less of us show up each reunion.” He shot me a what-an-idiot look, and said: “You mean fewer of us show up each reunion.” I almost took him out behind the schoolhouse right then and there. Was he right or wrong?
Response: He was probably wrong to correct your grammar in public. But on the grammar point, he was correct — unless you meant that you and your classmates weigh less each time you meet. Then, indeed, less of you is showing up. But if you meant that the number of people attending the reunion is dropping, then your classmate was right to use fewer.
Here’s the rule: You use fewer when you are describing countable nouns, such as cats, coyotes and classmates. You use less when you are describing abstract nouns, such as time, trouble and tact.
So you’d say: “I have less time to read Business Lexington.” You could also say: “I have fewer hours in the day to read my favorite business publication.” You use less with time because time is abstract. You use fewer with hours because hours are countable.
An easy way to remember this is if you can put a number before the noun — for example, three hours or one classmate — then use fewer with that noun. Otherwise, use less.
Interesting related story from the Daily Telegraph, a British newspaper: A few years ago, employees at retailer Marks & Spencer set up one of those checkout lanes for shoppers with just a handful of items. They posted the sign, “10 Items or Less.” Since items are countable, this was grammatically incorrect. Several alert, obsessed patrons pointed out the error. But the employees thought the grammatically correct phrase, “10 Items or Fewer,” sounded pretentious.
The company solved the problem with a new sign: “Baskets only.”
Neil Chethik, aka the Grammar Gourmet, is executive director of the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning (www.carnegiecenterlex.org). Contact Chethik at neil@carnegiecenterlex.org or (859) 254-4175.