'Less' versus 'fewer.' Fun names for fingers. Scunscreen.
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing18 Jul 2023

'Less' versus 'fewer.' Fun names for fingers. Scunscreen.

937. Today, we explore the traditional advice of using "fewer" for things you can count and "less" for things you can't, but you'll also learn about the idea of using "less" for singular nouns and "fewer" for plural nouns and how that solves the problem of common exceptions such as time, money, and distance. You'll also learn how to handle the controversial phrases "one less" and "10 items or less."

And have you ever wondered why our thumb is called a thumb? Or why the "rule of thumb" is so controversial? We look at the origins of these terms and more, and also touch on the many interesting names for fingers in various languages.

Th "fingers" segment was written by Susan Herman, a retired multidisciplined language analyst, analytic editor, and instructor for the U.S. Government.

| Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/less-fewer/transcript

| Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates.

| Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses.

| Peeve Wars card game.

| Grammar Girl books.

| HOST: Mignon Fogarty

| VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475) or https://sayhi.chat/grammargirl

| Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.

  • Audio Engineer: Nathan Semes
  • Director of Podcasts: Adam Cecil
  • Advertising Operations Specialist: Morgan Christianson
  • Marketing Associate: Davina Tomlin
  • Digital Operations Specialist: Holly Hutchings

| Theme music by Catherine Rannus.

| Grammar Girl Social Media Links: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episoder(965)

091 Yo as a Pronoun

091 Yo as a Pronoun

Yo as a Pronoun Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

10 Jan 20085min

090 Went Missing

090 Went Missing

Went Missing Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

4 Jan 20084min

087 Used to Versus Use to, and Other Listener Questions

087 Used to Versus Use to, and Other Listener Questions

Used to Versus Use to, and Other Listener Questions Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

7 Des 20074min

084 People Versus Entities

084 People Versus Entities

People Versus Entities Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

16 Nov 20075min

083 Interviewing Tips

083 Interviewing Tips

Interviewing Tips Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

9 Nov 20075min

082 Daylight-Saving Time

082 Daylight-Saving Time

Daylight-Saving Time Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

9 Nov 20074min

078 Formatting Hyperlinks

078 Formatting Hyperlinks

Formatting Hyperlinks Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

5 Okt 20074min

077 Verbification of a Noun

077 Verbification of a Noun

Verbification of a Noun Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

28 Sep 20076min

Populært innen Fakta

fastlegen
dine-penger-pengeradet
hanna-de-heldige
fryktlos
relasjonspodden-med-dora-thorhallsdottir-kjersti-idem
treningspodden
rss-strid-de-norske-borgerkrigene
foreldreradet
rss-sunn-okonomi
dypdykk
jakt-og-fiskepodden
takk-og-lov-med-anine-kierulf
sinnsyn
hverdagspsyken
branncast
rss-kunsten-a-leve
tomprat-med-gunnar-tjomlid
mikkels-paskenotter
gravid-uke-for-uke
doktor-fives-podcast