Good day, your Majesty. Education required. I came across this sentence in a book I was reading and know you’ll be able to tell me why one is grammatically correct and the other isn’t.
“Express checkouts at the supermarket are irritating enough just for saying ‘five items or less’ when grammatically speaking it should be ‘five items or fewer’”.
My English language ‘O’ level didn’t cover this level.
Thank you.

One can have less of a thing (singular)... or fewer things (plural), e.g. less sugar, or fewer grains of sugar

In your example "5 items or fewer", items is plural so fewer is correct.

Hello huw.

'fewer' should be used when the subject you are talking about can be counted e.g. marbles - There are fewer marbles in my tin than in his.

'less' should be used when talking about one thing e.g. butter - There is less butter on my toast than on yours.

Always notice whether you are using 'are' and 'were' or 'is' and 'was'. Are/were = fewer. Is/was = less.

That wretched !aibo beat me to it. I didn't bring him up to beat me to it!

Apologies - I knew I shouldn't have! Just demonstrating that I did listen occasionally

The less said the better. (or not in this case)

Thank you both. Such a simple answer and I’d never come across it before. It won’t be forgotten.

He even beat me to it with his 'like'. Grrr!

Bit slow their spades.

tybfc wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 30, 2020 11:01 pm

Bit slow their spades.

It's my age. It's past my bedtime.

spadesclaret wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 30, 2020 9:36 pm

Hello huw.

'fewer' should be used when the subject you are talking about can be counted e.g. marbles - There are fewer marbles in my tin than in his.

'less' should be used when talking about one thing e.g. butter - There is less butter on my toast than on yours.

Always notice whether you are using 'are' and 'were' or 'is' and 'was'. Are/were = fewer. Is/was = less.

Unless the toast was being spread with the little foil sachets of butter?

DCWat wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 30, 2020 11:58 pm

Unless the toast was being spread with the little foil sachets of butter?

In which case it would be, 'There are fewer little foil sachets of butter on my toast than on yours.'

tybfc wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 30, 2020 11:01 pm

Bit slow their spades.

Surprised you did not spot the two errors above your Majesty

The Enclosure wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 01, 2020 12:57 am

Surprised you did not spot the two errors above your Majesty

TheLovelyEnclosure, it was tybfc. What do you expect?

You to have taken the bait.

spadesclaret wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 30, 2020 9:36 pm

Hello huw.

'fewer' should be used when the subject you are talking about can be counted e.g. marbles - There are fewer marbles in my tin than in his.

'less' should be used when talking about one thing e.g. butter - There is less butter on my toast than on yours.

Always notice whether you are using 'are' and 'were' or 'is' and 'was'. Are/were = fewer. Is/was = less.

I think quite a few who post on here have lost their marbles.
At times it feels like I am one of them.
My hate is when people talk about something that differs to when I always feel it should be differ from, but maybe I am too much of a pedant.

tybfc wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 01, 2020 5:52 am

You to have taken the bait.

kritichris wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 30, 2020 9:41 pm

The less said the better. (or not in this case)

should be:

The fewer said the butter!

The same applies with regard to 'amount' and 'number.'

An amount of money, for example, but a number of coins.

And most definitely NOT an 'amount' of people!

mdd2 wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 01, 2020 8:24 am

I think quite a few who post on here have lost their marbles.
At times it feels like I am one of them.
My hate is when people talk about something that differs to when I always feel it should be differ from, but maybe I am too much of a pedant.

Learned at school and never forgotten :-

"Similar to says sister sue,
Different from says brother Tom"

Redbeard wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 01, 2020 10:06 am

The same applies with regard to 'amount' and 'number.'

An amount of money, for example, but a number of coins.

And most definitely NOT an 'amount' of people!

That one is probably my pet of all hates, Redbeard

Mine too, Your Maj.

Does my head in!

tybfc wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 01, 2020 5:52 am

You to have taken the bait.

Or perhaps it should be - You also have taken the bait, Or perhaps you meant that - You two have taken the bait?

Less is more

Moron minus the ox?

Redbeard wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 01, 2020 10:22 am

Mine too, Your Maj.

Does my head in!

Hi, Red. Did your book ever make it to a publisher, Minnie.

All right there, mate? - Congrats on your new username.

I'm still writing the book! It's been eight years now, and I'm still only 70% done.

Thanks for your interest.

Redbeard wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 01, 2020 2:12 pm

All right there, mate? - Congrats on your new username.

I'm still writing the book! It's been eight years now, and I'm still only 70% done.

Thanks for your interest.

Hope it's about Sean Dyche.

Redbeard wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 01, 2020 2:12 pm

All right there, mate? - Congrats on your new username.

huw, what was your previous username?

No, Ty: it's about the fire brigade.

I'm sure Sean will write his own one day, though.

spadesclaret wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 01, 2020 2:40 pm

huw, what was your previous username?

Keep this under your bonnet, your Maj.
MinnieClaret
PistonBroke
TrickyTrevor
Huw.....
Looks daft but somebody once accused me of posting to get likes so I quietly change every time I reach 1k.

Redbeard wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 01, 2020 2:12 pm

All right there, mate? - Congrats on your new username.

I'm still writing the book! It's been eight years now, and I'm still only 70% done.

Thanks for your interest.

Still waiting as I’ll have one because I’ll know some of your colleagues.
You’ll make a fortune on the film rights.

huw.Y.WattfromWare wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 01, 2020 4:13 pm

Looks daft but somebody once accused me of posting to get likes so I quietly change every time I reach 1k.

I should ‘like’ your post
...but you’re clearly just posting to get one!

huw.Y.WattfromWare wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 01, 2020 4:13 pm

Keep this under your bonnet, your Maj.
MinnieClaret
PistonBroke
TrickyTrevor
Huw.....
Looks daft but somebody once accused me of posting to get likes so I quietly change every time I reach 1k.

I think I once said Tricky Trevor was my favourite poster

I’d have no idea why but thank you.xx

huw.Y.WattfromWare wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 01, 2020 4:33 pm

I’d have no idea why but thank you.xx

I think you said something nice about me but I can't remember what or why.

spadesclaret wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 01, 2020 4:37 pm

I think you said something nice about me but I can't remember what or why.

He clearly has problems

tybfc wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 01, 2020 5:08 pm

He clearly has problems

Sorry but it’s difficult not to kind to someone who educates me, posts beautiful pictures and avoids political threads.

Oh I know and those are her bad days

Ty, I am so pleased you are feeling better.