>One of my language pet peeves is signs at supermarket express lines that say "15 items or less." 15 items or FEWER....

AGREED!

>
>While we're being pedantic, another one I have also given up on since it's so prevalent now is "different than." In the U.S. the correct wording is "different from." In the UK, as I understand it, it's "different to." But "different than" is just plain wrong.

Twangs in the brain, dunnit?

This doesn't peeve me all that much as just what preposition DO you use, if no-one's ever taught you? I only know it's "from" cos in grammar school we had an Eng. Lang. teacher who had us keep a "common mistakes" book (including the heinous "between you an I...".

In the UK I'd say 3/4 people say "to" and the rest "from".

The easy way to remember it as "similar to" (you approach it in similarity) - "different from" (you move away from it in similarity). A similar confusing preposition is used in soccer - they talk about a player "running at the opposition". Now, to me, "at" means "in the same place/time". So shouldn't it be "towards". But then again you throw a stone AT someone, so maybe it implies more immediacy and danger?

Yours in linguistic pedantry

Terry