... but I sure wish it had been.
I have been walking by this sign all summer long. It makes me want to scream.
For more on my pet peeve, visit here and here.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
It Wasn't Me...
... but I sure wish it had been.
I have been walking by this sign all summer long. It makes me want to scream.
For more on my pet peeve, visit here and here.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
LinkWithin
Ha! You say it wasn't you...hilarious that someone actually corrected the sign. Good for them :)
ReplyDeleteIt grates on my nerves too, and yet... descriptivist linguists argue that there is nothing grammatically wrong here with "less" instead of "fewer" and indeed a very long history in the language of this usage. You can read about it here: http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=1333
ReplyDeleteHave I posted this before on your blog? If so, I'm sorry! It's just because I find the subject of language pet peeves really interesting. :)
Fanny H: That is a really interesting link. There is definitely something less irritating about seeing "10 items or less" than there is about seeing "less lines". I certainly make my fair share of mistakes and my mother will be quick to tell you I use "like" too often (I DID grow up in California, after all) but there is something so grating about hearing and seeing "less" in front of a plural noun. I just can't stand it.
ReplyDeleteLove that!
ReplyDeleteGah! Torturous, to read that (original) sign. Glad someone fixed it!
ReplyDeleteI KNOW!!! Isn't that so annoying? Glad the grammar police set them straight!
ReplyDeletenice!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI read this review today and thought of this post of yours. Thought you might be intrigued!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.salon.com/books/recommended_books/2009/10/25/lexicographers_dilemma/index.html
Thanks! That article was really interesting, especially the idea that "correct" grammar is the the way wealthy people spoke a generation or two ago, and is not some long standing tradition.
ReplyDelete