Published October 28, 2025
Sometimes it’s obvious that for whatever reason, writers and editors opt for the most clunky phrasing, thinking that’s the best way to determine whether it’s grammatically correct.
I see it with the unnecessary “whom” out in the wild. And with fewer than/less than.
They are undefeated when they have a lead with two minutes or fewer left in the game.
Hmm. Let’s talk about this.
‘Less’ is more
Many editors I know keep this Merriam-Webster link handy. From that:
Generally, fewer is used when a number of things can be counted (“fewer problems”) and less is used when an amount is measured (“less trouble” or “less time”). However, this is not a strict rule and there are accepted instances of less being used with countable amounts such as “250 words or less,” “3 items or less,” and especially with money (“less than $20”) and distance (“less than 3 miles”). Note that in all these cases, the things considered are often thought of as amounts rather than numbers.
Benjamin Dreyer’s “Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style” gets it:
Perhaps you’ve turned this distinction into a fetish. The strict—and, really, not all that hard to remember—differentiation is that “fewer than” is applied to countable objects (fewer bottles of beer on the wall) and “less than” to what we call exclusively singular nouns (less happiness, less quality) and mass nouns (fewer chips, less guacamole).
Except—and there’s always an “except,” isn’t there—one does use “less than” in discussions of distance (less than five hundred miles) and time.
And one likely uses “less than” in discussions of money and weight.
(Hat tip to Graham Mann for that.)
Key takeaway: There’s always an “except.”
Remember the promise of pizza delivery in 30 minutes or less? No one said 30 minutes or fewer. The main problem with “30 minutes or less” was a safety issue.
And now this
Now please enjoy some music.
Give yourself one less problem.
And if you misspell “fewer” and type it as “fever,” I hope you catch it, but also, stop and enjoy some music even then if you have time!
I’ve got a fever, and the only prescription is more fresh air in newsroom editing.
Hey, I’m trying to hang on.
♥
Thank you
If you appreciate what you find here and feel generous, you can check out the Tip Jar. Thank you for reading. Here’s a butterfly for you.
/”””””\ \ / /”””””\
\ 0 \( )/ 0 /
> l l <
/ o l l o \
\,,,,,,,,,/v\,,,,,,,,,/
Image © Karenr | Megapixl.com
Come visit someday
You should come to Portland and see the area. It’s a beautiful part of the world, especially when there’s fall foliage. Consider this your invitation to come and see me.
Happy Friday from Portland Japanese Garden #PDX #portland #Portlandoregon #oregon #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #maple #japanesemaple #Fall #photo #photography #travel #travelphotography #leaves #Bluesky #autumn #garden #leaf #PNW #moss #trees #rain #red #foliage #tree
— Jonathon E. Kraft Photography (@kraftphotography.bsky.social) September 19, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Another trans death by suicide
I wish I had the emotional bandwidth to do my own story post on this. But I don’t.
What I really wish is that this would stop happening. We are hurting. Our community is hurting.
This article quotes the university president saying Lia was on the women’s swimming and diving team, but she’s not on this year’s roster on their athletic department website. The NCAA banned her from being on the team when Trump first took office.
— Katelyn Boo-urns (@katelynburns.com) October 27, 2025 at 11:26 AM
It’s not just my community
We are all in trouble.
They’re calling it epistemic collapse, did you know that? Epistemic collapse, folks. Because now the perceptions, they’re totally divorced from empirical fact.
— Moira Donegan (@moiradonegan.bsky.social) October 27, 2025 at 11:51 AM
Jamaica’s in big trouble.
What we’re witnessing with #Melissa is ultra rare in the history of known hurricanes in the Atlantic. This level of sustained intensity and feasting on every joule of ocean heat content without any real disruption is incredible.
Not hyperbole: Jamaica is facing a generational catastrophic event.
— Steve Bowen (@stevebowen.bsky.social) October 27, 2025 at 7:23 PM