Location: Food Lion, Market Square; Danville, Va.
Picture taken: May 2007
Textual representation of image: “Express Lane: 12 Items or Less”
This is the first-ever Grammar Police picture. I was standing in line with a small basket of items, having chosen the slowest one once again, with plenty of time to read every sign in sight. I’d noticed this error many times, but it suddenly occurred to me that I should break out my handy-dandy camera phone and document it. So here we are. =)
People confuse fewer and less all the time, so I’m sure everyone understands what this sign means. Yes, there are those people who never bother to count the items in their carts or who simply disregard it altogether, but I think that’s more about bad attitudes than misunderstandings.
The sign should read “12 items or fewer,” however, since the items can be counted individually. The word less is reserved for quantities, like air or water, that can’t be counted.
Rule: Use fewer for groups of objects or qualities that can be counted individually; use less for those that can’t be.
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