[net.nlang] Making less grammatical mistakes

grw@fortune.UUCP (Glenn Wichman) (05/11/84)

[What are you reading ME for?]

	Another common mistake on the net and in the world is
    the use of the word "less" where the word "fewer" is appropriate.
    The most recent use of it that I saw was:

	"There would be less KGB agents..."

	Anything that comes in units (KGB agents, Donny Osmond lookalikes,
    Wombats, etc.) should be modified with the word "fewer"; anything that
    comes in a mass (like Rice Pudding, Time, Thyme, and Wombat purree)
    should be modified with the word "less".  "More" is the correct 
    opposite for both words, whence the confusion.

			    No cute signoff,
						-Glenn

nather@utastro.UUCP (Ed Nather) (05/14/84)

[]

			    No cute signoff,
						-Glenn

Will somebody please mail this poor, underprivileged fellow a cute signoff?
It distresses me to see such poverty :-).
-- 

                                       Ed Nather
                                       ihnp4!{ut-sally,kpno}!utastro!nather
                                       Astronomy Dept., U. of Texas, Austin

ron@brl-vgr.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>) (05/15/84)

I thought the "No cute signoff" signoff was a contradiction.

-Ron