The difference between less and fewer, like that between lay and lie, is on the brink of extinction, but enough careful speakers and writers observe the difference to make it worth our attention.
Quiet or Quite?
The words quiet (two syllables) and quite (one syllable) are frequently confused. Quiet! Please be quite. Quiet! I encountered this bit of dialogue in a mystery published by W.W. Norton. A character is being kidnapped and the words are spoken by one of the kidnappers. Obviously all three words are meant to be quiet. Quiet … Read more