Have you ever seen that sign at the grocery store counter that reads “ten items or less” and sputtered, “It should say ‘ten items or fewer!’” and had your monocle fall off in a spasm of ...

You probably see it every time you make a grocery run: the Express lane, with its sign inviting shoppers with “ten items or less.” Despite how widespread it is, though, this phrase is actually ...

The difference between less and fewer was one of the first issues to come on my radar as a beginning copy editor. Unfortunately, I learned it wrong, as I found out a few years later. Even more ...

People who are careful about their grammar take extra care with “less” and “fewer.” Most of the time, the results are good. “Ben has fewer worries this year” sounds better than “Ben has less worries ...

Not long ago, I caught a snippet of a radio report about flooding in Colorado. Here’s the first sentence I heard: “The number has dropped to fewer than 600 missing.” When people use the word “fewer” ...

I have a couple things to get off my chest about your "Express Line: 10 items or less" signs. First off, it is ten items or FEWER, you mouth-breathing idiots. This is basic English grammar that you ...

In a classic “Saturday Night Live” skit, Christopher Walken confidently declares, “I’ve got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell!” Today I’m not sure whether I have a fever or a fervor ...