posted
Being that there are many here whose english ablities crush mine, I figured I would ask and get a response I could more or less trust.
The lastest edition of our school paper featured the following headline.
quote:Class of '04 receives less tickets than past graduates
I think the 'less' should be 'fewer'. Comments?
If I'm right, and this is really the horrible wording that I think it is, its extremely ironic. The current editor-in-chief has made it the goal to win some award, regardless of what any of the students who read the paper think of what its becoming. Thus far the actions have been to remove the entertainment section and most of the Oddly Enough style blurbs, from the wire services. He also refused to run a comic that used profanity, a comic which had run for 4 prior years in a paper that had featured headlines with profanity in them. But, hey we now have grainy color photos on page 1, so that obviously makes up for any other lacks.
edit: The online version of this story can be found here.
posted
Yes, it should be fewer because it's a plural noun, not a mass quantity.
quote:The traditional view is that less applies to matters of degree, value, or amount and modifies collective nouns, mass nouns, or nouns denoting an abstract whole while fewer applies to matters of number and modifies plural nouns. Less has been used to modify plural nouns since the days of King Alfred and the usage, though roundly decried, appears to be increasing. Less is more likely than fewer to modify plural nouns when distances, sums of money, and a few fixed phrases are involved <less than 100 miles> <an investment of less than $2000> <in 25 words or less> and as likely as fewer to modify periods of time <in less (or fewer) than four hours>.
posted
Reminds me of a headline in a local paper. A Colonel Savage had passed away. He had been a highly decorated war veteran and popular local man. The newspaper's headline read:
Savage Funeral To Be Held Today
I sometimes wonder why journalism majors never study grammar.
Posts: 279 | Registered: May 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
That's probably how they are suppose to announce funerals or something.. and someone just thought it was humorous anyway and kept it like that.. *shrugs* Kinda cruel, but well.. that's humans for ya..
posted
Like the time South Carolina's state newspaper ran a front page headline: "DSS Workers Suspended After Death." I found myself wondering if they really even cared. . . .
Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
I hadn't thought of that. Frankly, my all-too-literal interpretation was funny enough for me. Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
I wish I had cut out the article that ended with the line "There were plenty of smiles, children, and ice cream consumed." That one was priceless.
Posts: 9945 | Registered: Sep 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
When I was an English teacher, I would save up such gems from essays and write them on the board on the day of the final--unattributed, of course. Funny thing is that students were all too eager to take credit for them. Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
I agree that it should be "fewer," but I would be willing to bet a fair amount that "less" fit better. When I worked for my college newspaper, nothing drove me more batty than trying to write "proper" headlines. "This story is boring" and "Crappy story no. 8" would have been so much easier.
Posts: 1090 | Registered: Oct 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Here's one of those literature quirks that comes from the book 'Eats Shoots and Leaves': (from memory so don't yell at me)
A panda walked into a bar and asked for a salad and a soda. He finishes, stands up, and shoots the bartender. He then casually walks out. A shocked customer asks why he shot the waiter and the panda pulls out a dictionary and reads the definition for panda: a black and white bear. Eats shoots and leaves.
[ June 07, 2004, 12:41 PM: Message edited by: The White Whale ]
Posts: 1711 | Registered: Jun 2004
| IP: Logged |
Agrees with this sentiment. Also, those commas are used poorly. I don't know if it's technically "wrong," but they feel akward.
Posts: 903 | Registered: May 2003
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
![[ROFL]](graemlins/rofl.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
![[Cool]](cool.gif)
