off topic jargon

[Fred Satterwhite]

> From: "Andy Nicholl" <andy at andynic.eclipse.co.uk>:
>
> My pet hates are:
> 'envision' (which means to impart a vision to...) instead of 
> 'envisage' (to
> have avision oneself)
> 'deteriate' instead of 'deteriORate'
> 'different than' instead of 'different from'
> 'compared to' instead of 'compared with'
> and the dreaded split infinitive - 'to bravely go...'
>

The most irritating one for me is using "less" instead of "fewer" when 
referring to quantities of individual items- for example, "I have less 
Duos than most people on this list" instead of "I have fewer Duos than 
most people on this list." This one is like a nail across a chalk board 
when I hear it (or read it).

It's "fewer trees", "less wood"; "fewer lakes", "less water"; "fewer 
vegetables", "less food"; and so on...

It seems that "common usage" has corrupted this one beyond recovery, 
because I hear it everywhere now. I can let a lot of things slide, but 
I still fight on this one whenever I'm editing copy or reviewing 
presentations.

--
Fred Satterwhite
bfs19 at adelphia.net