If you are even the slightest of a grammar nit, please watch the following transcripted speech from the movie Rocky Balboa. No sentence is even remotely close to correct and your mind will explode!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqyD-71UlD4

On the function of the serial comma:

The less vs. fewer thing is getting out of hand. It's bad enough when normal people **** it up in everyday writing (and speech), but now I just saw it in a national commercial for Mercedes-Benz. "More power... more technology... less doors. The 2012 C Coupe."

"Less doors?" That made it through how many editors?

Less than you would think.

I'm sure everyone's seen this and it's probably been posted itt already but it's funnee so

In all seriousness, I blame express checkout lanes.

LOL

I don't. I really think that's just the most popular and widespread symptom.

Well, I guess we could blame stupidity, poor education, loss of focus on the importance of precision, loss of deference to cultural norms, and a touch of the increasing acceptance of linguistic heterogeneity, but that would be less fun.

The "less doors" thing is probably better for marketing purposes because its informal and contrasts better with the earlier statements in the ad.

I'll give you more informal, but I don't think it contrasts better with the earlier statements.

"More power, more technology, fewer doors." That would be just as clean in terms of contrast. It's just more formal. But people would get it. I think the right choice would have been to go with fewer. They ARE selling Mercedes, btw. Upscale luxury cars should appeal to educated/upscale demographics. Not that rich people necessarily have better grammar than poor people, but there is some correlation between education and success.

Maybe it rubbed me the wrong way because I drive a Benz and now I feel like I'm associated with a company that doesn't know fifth grade English. /humblebrag

I read this somewhere today....

"I wish I was 50 years younger and I'd kick your ass," said Merchant before handlers separated the two men.

Is this acceptable or are the handlers guilty of a grisly double murder?

Not acceptable. It should be "I wish I were fifty years younger..."

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/29...nt-so-1100860/


unite!

I guess some marketing people decided that "less" is punchier and carries subliminal associations with savings ("less money" or "get it for less" or whatever). "Fewer" is kind of an effete word.

But "doors," or the lack thereof, seems too trivial to include in a slogan, especially in its terminal slot. Meh slogan altogether, imo.

Semi-related: a hilarious read about the thought companies put into names and words.

WRT the part you were actually asking about, I think it's fine as is, with "from each other" implied.

Agreed with atakdog that Merchant's actual quote sucks, though. Not only should it be "were", but it sounds like he's saying "I wish I were 50 years younger and also wish that I would kick your ass". Better alternatives would be:

"I wish I were 50 years younger so I could kick your ass."
"I wish I were 50 years younger. I'd kick your ass."

Bad slushpile sentences. LOL.

Would that I were fifty years younger so I could kick your ass.

Twas cruel time what hath wrought my ass-kicking ineffectual. Forsooth.

Lol, just came across another one of those Oxford Comma things:

Do you set down your name in the scroll of youth,
that are written down old with all the characters of
age? Have you not a moist eye? a dry hand? a
yellow cheek? a white beard? a decreasing leg? an
increasing belly? is not your voice broken? your
wind short? your chin double? your wit single? and
every part about you blasted with antiquity? and
will you yet call yourself young?

Contraction question. Several times I've come across this dilemma: it is not.

It's not?

It isn't?

Can you ever try to pull off it'sn't?

Is it just personal preference?

Obviously both are correct. It depends on where you want to stress the negative and which flows better.

Yes it is.

No it isn't.

Yes it IS.

No it ISN'T!

Is too.

IT'SN'T!