Second Wind Publishing discussion

If I had a dollar for every time someone said to me, “That’s not what I meant,” I’d feel a lot more comfortable about my retirement years. My standard response to anyone who tells me, “That’s not what I meant,” is to reply, “Then say what you mean.”

Ever get the feeling that we, in America, speak in tongues?

Case in point: If I donate a kidney, I would tell my neighbor “I have only one kidney remaining,” not, “I only have one kidney remaining.” Placement of “only” in the above example is important.

A popular cable network runs a self-promo that proclaims: “More movie; less commercials.” I’m sorry, that is so wrong. Always has been, always will be. Wrong, wrong, wrong! One has to do with a singular entity (the movie); the other with a multiple number of items (commercials). However, if in pouring yourself a beer you spill some, you now have less than a full bottle of beer in your glass, not fewer beer. A lake has less water than an ocean, not fewer water. Generally, there are fewer Peanut M&Ms in the bag ten minutes after opening it, not less. So how in the world can any ad writer worth his or her salt think “less commercials” is grammatically correct?

Another case in point: At work the other day, in a document on which I was working, I came across a reference to “last March” with respect to a conference I knew was held in March 2010. It’s October 2011; to me, “last March” is a reference to March 2011. I pointed this out to the subject matter expert who wrote the narrative and suggested her reference was incorrect. She disagreed. I asked two other colleagues and both agreed with the subject matter expert. To all of them, “last March” was interpreted to mean March 2010.

I began to doubt my sanity as well as my ability as a communicator and writer.

I asked my colleagues how they referenced March 2011. “This past March,” one said. I asked, “Since March 2011 is the most recent March, isn’t it correct to think of it as the ‘last’ one?” They looked at me and blinked. The SME who provided the narrative said, “Well, it was last year, so last March, right?” A weak argument, I thought, but I could see I was getting nowhere.

I’d seen a reference to this conference once before—last winter—and it was referenced as “last March.” Since it was in a document dated February 2011, it was correct. And since all my colleagues agreed it was correct, I asked, “How can we reference March 2010 twice as last March?” They had no response. I could see I was still getting nowhere, only faster.

“I have a solution,” I said. “Let’s change the reference to read “March 2010” to remove any and all ambiguity and to negate having to update this language next April to “two years ago this past March” or something equally confusing.

Thanks. I needed to get this off my chest.

Even if you say what you mean, people generally understand only what they want to understand. And you will always be in the wrong. If you don't understand what they say, that's your problem for not listening correctly. If they don't understand what you say, that's your problem for not talking clearly. It's amazing anyone ever manages to communicate with anyone else!

Agreed, Pat, it is amazing we manage to communicate as well as we do, man to woman, person to person, adult to child, nation to nation. Many wars are started over a "failure to communicate."

How very true. I try to keep out of such discussions though, coming from that other country that's separated from the US by a common language.

Finally, someone who thinks similar to the way I do!
Friends (fiends) and family have long understood they must be careful on what they say and, more importantly, how they say it around me.

Of course, they also get pretty fed up with me acting as if they are speaking a foreign language at times.

This past March and last March are the same thing--it's the last one we had. Using less instead of fewer is probably my greatest grammatical pet peeve, and it is so common--as you say, even on commercials.

or even, especially on commercials.

Grocery stores must have really gotten complaints -- they used to have a "fifteen items or less" line. Now it's "fifteen items or fewer."

Semantics is one issue. The other is a person's point of view. If you already assume you understand where the other person's coming from, you might misunderstand what they say.

Sheila wrote: "How very true. I try to keep out of such discussions though, coming from that other country that's separated from the US by a common language."

Here I thought it was that pond of water that separated our two nations!

Christine wrote: "This past March and last March are the same thing--it's the last one we had. Using less instead of fewer is probably my greatest grammatical pet peeve, and it is so common--as you say, even on comm..."

There's a new car commerical that makes that mistake. I can't recall which car maker, but I think it's a foreign car: "Less doors." Makes me want to throw my remote through the TV!

Since I became I writer I have had to rethink a few things about communicating in general and clean up my grammar. It's been a good wake up call.

I have learned to use fewer words as less is more

Actually, I lied about the fifteen items or fewer at the grocery store. Apparently it was just that one store. The others still have signs reading "fifteen items or less." Perhaps for items that are partially eaten? Then there would be less.

Pat Bertram wrote: "Actually, I lied about the fifteen items or fewer at the grocery store. Apparently it was just that one store. The others still have signs reading "fifteen items or less." Perhaps for items that ar..." I like your partially eaten suggestion...

Hello!

I've just joined the group and would like to comment. The sign "fifteen items or less" is OK in a grocery store checkout as a colloquial form. If you wrote "fewer" shoppers would think you're being unnecessarily pedantic. Grammar is important for clear communication, but so is usage.

Ben