A Measuring-Counting Distinction

Misuse of “fewer” and “less” is one of my hobby horses. Use “fewer” when you’re counting, “less” when you’re measuring. Sometimes the distinction can be ambiguous, especially with speed, time, and distance. Here’s another ambiguous one. Second speech in panel two:

“Amount” is technically incorrect. It goes with things you measure, not count. But he’d have to say “the same number of words” to be unambiguous. After all, he could be saying “the same amount of speech/conversation/blah-blahing as the rest of us.”

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The joke works because the tree is named “the tree of knowledge.” I’m pretty sure not much else in the comic is accurate.

Putting a hyphen between two words makes the pair of words a compound adjective, telling you that they work together to modify the noun.

No hyphen gives you the punchline!

I wouldn’t bother posting this comic, but using “all right” (which is correct) instead of “alright” (which is incorrect) so seldom, I have to advertize the expression whenever I see it. (Use “arright” if you’re going to be over-casual.) Third panel

You can find more examples regarding this usage in the search box on the right.

An acronym is an appreviation that you pronounce as a word. (An initialism, by the way is an abbreviation that you spell out, such as “FBI.”)

I think the one about us men is pretty good. Got an acronym you especially like?