Discussion Forum—A Way with Words, a fun radio show and podcast about language

Only the last sentence is correct.   Apples and miles can be counted, so we use "fewer" when referring to them.

Think of this: At 5 miles daily, I run fewer miles than your 10.   I run less than you do every day.  

I run less than you run.   I run fewer miles.

Eating 3 apples a day, I eat fewer than your 4 a day.   I generally eat less than you do at meal time.

What does it do whenever it comes?

I do not know why my earlier post can not be posted.   I will slightly modify it below.

Dick said
Any time you are referring to a measurement it is an exception to the usual rule and is called “non-countable.” I have read some explanations that supposedly show how these are in fact “non-countable” but I have trouble understanding much less explaining.   So I just remember that any time I am talking about distance, weight, time, money or any other common way of measuring something it is “non-countable” or I like to say a “mass noun.”

I guess I should not make a statement like this without giving references, so here are some sites I googled which talk about the exception to this rule for measurements. That would include miles and dollars in the first two sentences.

<http://afterdeadline.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/01/fewer-vs-less/

So I go with saying that “less” is correct in the first two sentences.

RobertB said
However sound, the 'measurement' guidance leaves the door open to endless rationalizing, because anything can be interpreted as measurement. 'Eat less than 5 apples' can refer to that amount of apples, or even apple sauce worth less than 5 apples, or even calories less than contained in 5 apples.
The classic grocery stores' sin '5 items or less' actually sounds ok too, if you think of it as measurement of the amount purchased.

Rationalizing is not really very easy.   "Apples" is not a system of measurement.   Applesauce is not a system of measurement.   "Items" is not a system of measurement.   Calories can be argued.   It is a system of measurement but it is not like most in that it can not be broken down or made larger.   For example, money can be various denominations from cent to dollar, or distance can be various denominations from inch to mile.   This is why measurements can logically be called "non-countable." "Calories" does not fit that description so it would probably be called "countable."

Read the links I posted. (I finally got them moderated) They will probably explain this exception much better than I can.

By the way, I discovered the reason for the hold put on my post.   They do not allow more than one link in a post unless it is given specific permission.   I have never tried to do that before and I did not know that rule.   Maybe someone else needs to know that.

Everything I have said in previous posts is simply the rules. I will agree that there can be any number of exceptions simply because common usage has made it so.   "5 items or less" is one of those.   It clearly breaks the rules but it has become so common that to say or write it any other way would seem strange or as you say, "stilted."   However, I don't think this changes the rules, it only makes another exception.