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A comment on Australian women are having fewer children, later in life. Parent comment

Re:Australian women are having fewer children, later in life by cup on Sunday November 29, 2015 @09:05PM (#10647193)
Can you explain the distinction for me?
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Australian women are having fewer children, later in life by kabdib on Sunday November 29, 2015 @10:01PM (#10647392)
Something that is continuous (power, water, money) use "less".

Something you can count, use "fewer".

No similar construct in the other direction. You say "more" of anything. English, feh! :-)

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Re:Australian women are having fewer children, later in life by StavrosK on Sunday November 29, 2015 @10:07PM (#10647415)
I prefer "manier". "Women are bearing manier children". "More children" sounds like it's a matter of degree, like their children now contain 120% more child.
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Re:Australian women are having fewer children, later in life by TeMPOraL on Sunday November 29, 2015 @10:18PM (#10647460)
Seriously, or are you just messing with us here? Because I don't recall having ever seen or heard "manier" used like that or "more" being interpreted only in continuous sense.
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Re:Australian women are having fewer children, later in life by StavrosK on Sunday November 29, 2015 @10:36PM (#10647525)
It's my invention, now I just have to get manier people to use it!
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Re:Australian women are having fewer children, later in life by dogma1138 on Monday November 30, 2015 @05:10AM (#10648669)
FYI I got a black eye cuz of you, I was reading this thread around 4.30am and for some reason that comment made me laugh out loud which resulted in me being elbowed by my GF. My lawyers will be in touch...
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Re:Australian women are having fewer children, later in life by StavrosK on Monday November 30, 2015 @05:14AM (#10648677)
Bring it on, sucka!
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Re:Australian women are having fewer children, later in life by bobbles on Sunday November 29, 2015 @10:47PM (#10647573)
It's really hard to read 'manier' without thinking 'more manly'.
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Re:Australian women are having fewer children, later in life by avn2109 on Monday November 30, 2015 @12:01AM (#10647820)
I prefer this interpretation. Perhaps we can make a gentleman's agreement to let it enter the lexicon as a homophone.
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Re:Australian women are having fewer children, later in life by StavrosK on Monday November 30, 2015 @05:16AM (#10648679)
Perhaps manyer could work, it has an old air of legitimacy to it.
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Re:Australian women are having fewer children, later in life by StavrosK on Monday November 30, 2015 @03:47AM (#10648439)
Yes, that is its downside :-(
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Re:Australian women are having fewer children, later in life by efm on Sunday November 29, 2015 @09:19PM (#10647231)
If you can count distinct items, use fewer. If it's a bulk quantity, use less.
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Re:Australian women are having fewer children, later in life by Jtsummers on Sunday November 29, 2015 @09:58PM (#10647373)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fewer_vs._less
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