My normally articulate 17-year-old is an award-winning soon-to-be senior in high school, but last evening before dinner she said something wrong.
I corrected her — gently, diplomatically, lovingly, of course — but then her mother muttered, “Grammar Nazi.”
Now I’m going to tell you what my daughter said, and how I corrected her, and YOU tell ME if I’m a GRAMMAR NAZI!
She: “You’re eating less calories.”
Me: “Actually, I’m eating fewer calories.”
- Less refers to a substance. Less water. Less air. Less obfuscation.
- Fewer refers to a number of individual items. Fewer calories. Fewer children. Fewer problems.
Am I a Nazi? I think not. But if you beg to differ, please … feel free to comment.
English Is A Complicated Language 