swimming

[ewx]

[Poll #207200]

Comments

[songster.livejournal.com]

Fewer?

[ewx.livejournal.com]

Why don't people who complain about less/fewer ever complain about the other obvious comparable case?

[beckyc.livejournal.com]

Now I *did* spot this myself, but didn't say anything since it is in fact perfectly possible to swim half a length or .25 of a length or...

Especially when the little dears are messing about by jumping in on top of people who are swimming lengths

[songster.livejournal.com]

Not complaining, just you struck me as the sort of person who'd make the distinction, and I was surprised you hadn't.

Not sure what you mean by the other comparable case - I don't think I've *ever* seen someone use 'fewer' when they "should" use 'less'. (Scare quotes around "should" for a reason)

[songster.livejournal.com]

Well yes. But my reasoning then continued that because</> it's difficult (actually, impossible) to swim an exact integer number of lengths, ewx was treating lengths as quanta for the purpose of the comment, hence 'fewer' would be technically more precise.

[ewx.livejournal.com]

I mean the people who claim that less vs. fewer is a useful distinction never claim that there there should be an alternative to 'more'.

[beckyc.livejournal.com]

Well, I do actually think that. It's just that if I were to say it in conversation then nobody would be friends with me...

[fluffymormegil.livejournal.com]

What's wrong with saying ther should be a continuous-more and a discrete-more?

[beckyc.livejournal.com]

So it crops up often in the kind of parties you are at does it? ;-)

[ewx.livejournal.com]

I remain friends with people who like the less/fewer distinction, so I don't see why liking the (erm) more/more distinction should make a difference...

[ksta.livejournal.com]

how many metres per length? 25, 33 or 50?

[ewx.livejournal.com]

Everything you could want to know about Parkside (http://www.cambridge.gov.uk/leisure/parkside.htm)

[imc.livejournal.com]

Because there isn't one.

[mobbsy.livejournal.com]

Damn, and I was expecting a chemical analysis of the water, the name of the architect of the building and a discourse on the political situation regarding the council swimming subsidy.

[ksta.livejournal.com]

pah- 25m , 40 lenghts is nothing. :P

[ewx.livejournal.com]

Compared to how I started out a few months ago (after I think more than a decade of not swimming at all) I think I'm doing pretty well.