One FEWER

Don't get me wrong. I'm excited about the new cervical cancer vaccine. But I saw a commercial last night on TV (full disclosure: it was while I was watching American Idol) that made me wince. Not because of its content--it was for Gardasil, and had the admirable aim of encouraging people to get vaccinated--but because of its tagline: "One Less."

I know this is a picky, dorky point to make, but if you want to speak English correctly, it should be "One Fewer." See, because "less" is used with stuff that can't be counted as individual units, like flour or gas. But when you *can* count it, like with people or, in this situation, cases of cervical cancer, it's "fewer." That's why I have taken mild grammatical offense at the "One Less Car" t-shirt worn proudly by urban bikers. "ONE FEWER!" I have been known to shout (accompanied, for what it's worth, by Gelf founder Carl). "It should be ONE FEWER car!"

So imagine my horror when last night's commercial--which I think you can watch here--featured smiling, cancer-free girls and women proudly proclaiming themselves as "one less." They even went so far as to hold up placards. "One less! One less!" By the end of the commercial, I was talking back to the television.

Some people might tell me to "chill out" or "shut up," but you know what? It bugs me. And I have a real soft spot for people who get worked up about such things (perhaps because I'm one of them)--one of my favorite things in Harper's ever, for example, was this exchange between the makers of Dasani water, and an English teacher horrified at their blatantly incorrect useage of the word "everyday." Seriously. Read it. I might be crazy, but that shit is funny.

This is the blog for Salt Magazine.

Comments

[Rick]

I do the same thing when this commercial airs, and I do it whenever there are horrible grammar mistakes being perpetuated.