quote:

---

Class of '04 receives less tickets than past graduates

---

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 by Jalapenoman (Member # 6575) on :
 
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.
 

---

Posted by Mabus (Member # 6320) on :
 
Um...that's a confusing headline, but I don't see anything grammatically wrong with it.
 

---

Posted by Pepek (Member # 3773) on :
 
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..

~Sir Montague
 

---

Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
 
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. . . .
 

---

Posted by Mabus (Member # 6320) on :
 
Suspended? From the ceiling?
 

---

Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
 
I hadn't thought of that. Frankly, my all-too-literal interpretation was funny enough for me.
 

---

Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :
 
The all-time worst headline is one that has allegedly appeared in BYU's Daily Universe at least once:

Students help rape victims.
 

---

Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
 


What I wouldn't give for a copy of that . . .

[ June 05, 2004, 11:29 PM: Message edited by: Icarus ]
 

---

Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :
 
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.
 

---

Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
 
And a good time was had by all.
 

---

Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :
 
Well, except for the children.

*moment of silence*
 

---

Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
 
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.
 

---

Posted by fallow (Member # 6268) on :
 
anything to get oughta class...

students!
 

---

Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :
 
Looks like you got out of spelling class.
 

---

Posted by Phanto (Member # 5897) on :
 
[u]

Wow. Isn't that funny!



[/u]
 

---

Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
 

quote:

---

Well, except for the children.

*moment of silence*

---

Jon Boy, you are a Kung Fu master. *admiring.
 

---

Posted by Anna (Member # 2582) on :
 

Jon Boy, that was wonderful.
 

---

Posted by fiazko (Member # 5812) on :
 
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.
 

---

Posted by The White Whale (Member # 6594) on :
 
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 ]
 

---

Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :
 

quote:

---

Jon Boy, you are a Kung Fu master. *admiring.

---

*bows*
 

---

Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
 
I get credit for an assist, right?
 

---

Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :
 
Oh, of course.

*high five*
 

---

Posted by HollowEarth (Member # 2586) on :
 
apparently to the staff of our paper, adding a 'de' to the front of a word, makes you sound, erm, I don't known ah, better somehow.

quote:

---

In fact, these things should never appear in public, and must be deregulated.

---

quote:

---

huh?

---