Less vs fewer isn't fanciful and arbitrary! It's a question of what the words actually mean! They mean different things! Fewer means fewer items. Less means less stuff. Fundamentally different.
In this case, though, the wording doesn't bother me, because I don't read it as '10 items or fewer items', I read it as '10 items or less shopping'. In my mind, there's an invisible comma - '10 items, or less.'
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Date: 2008-09-05 05:16 pm (UTC)In this case, though, the wording doesn't bother me, because I don't read it as '10 items or fewer items', I read it as '10 items or less shopping'. In my mind, there's an invisible comma - '10 items, or less.'