Emmer: Fewer vs. less

Regarding article “City Council can’t swallow less lunch days for Aspen Public House.”

The correct grammar is “fewer” not “less.” 

“Less” applies to unspecific quantities such as “less dumb content in the Aspen Times.” “Fewer” would apply to “fewer dumb stories in the Aspen Times.”

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Maurice Emmer

West Palm Beach, Florida

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Assistant Editor’s note: Lots of emails, too, on this fewer vs. less debate. “Less” was chosen for this headline because, while there was a request by the proprietor to offer lunch “fewer” days of the week between October to June (weekdays instead of all week), the discretionary aspect of this lunch-service request would result in “less” lunches overall during this time period, as the number of lunches possibly served on these days would be unknown, dependent on the whim of the proprietor.