- Messages
- 8,173
- Reaction score
- 9,899
- Points
- 113
The rule that 'fewer' should be used for countable items was pretty much invented in 1770 by Robert Baker, who wrote '“[Less] is most commonly used in speaking of a Number; where I should think Fewer would do better. ‘No Fewer than a Hundred’ appears to me, not only more elegant than ‘No less than a Hundred,’ but more strictly proper.” So not a rule, just his personal preference, which was not backed up by actual usage pretty much since the start of written English. People have latched onto it - in today's terms it pretty much went viral - but that was purely chance, or good marketing of his book, or whatever.
Nevertheless, I would still usually change 'less' to 'fewer' for countables when editing (unless 'less' seems right - 'I have one less dog than you'), because the last thing the author wants is someone criticising their book (or worse, criticising the editor!). And it's been taken to be correct for so long that it does now often feel more natural.
Nevertheless, I would still usually change 'less' to 'fewer' for countables when editing (unless 'less' seems right - 'I have one less dog than you'), because the last thing the author wants is someone criticising their book (or worse, criticising the editor!). And it's been taken to be correct for so long that it does now often feel more natural.