Less vs. Fewer: A Blooper from the BBC

Sending out a huge thanks to Philippa for e-mailing this whopper from across the pond, which came from none other than BB-blooming-C News.

Where does BBC News go wrong? It uses less to compare countable nouns.

Quick rule:

• Use fewer when comparing countable nouns. We'd like to see fewer complaints about cafeteria food this year. We can count complaints.
• Use less when comparing non-countable nouns. His long-winded speech left less time for touring the grounds. Time can be measured but not counted.

Correction:

• Fewer people filled up their tanks between April and June