Yes, but this is modeled on the supermarket checkout, which historically gets it wrong.
And further, often you can rescue the “less” by explicitly inserting another noun, and making it a clear non-count one. “Five words or less verbiage”.
No, no… the express lane is for people ordering with 5 words or for Less, should he ever decide he wants to buy coffee there.
Is the therapist going to ask about the real elephant in the room?
I spit my coffee with the sweaty one. Fortunately, I practice safe surfing, with a cover on my screen.
Sherman’s Lagoon: Why does the background change in Panel 3? Is that to justify pouring a liquid underwater? Reminds me of old Drano commercials – pours through water right to the clog.
Nice save, Danny Boy!
The local supermarket chain I use no longer has an express line. During the pandemical, they had reconfigured the registers to have one line, and patrons would be directed to a register when it became available. They kept that, and later added self-check. the latter went from 20 max, to 10, to 15. Like the old express lanes, there is rarely much enforcement of the limit there.
Let’s see, what does “less” mean? Merriam-Webster says, “constituting a more limited number or amount, as in ‘less than three’ or ‘less than half done.’”
in other words, the less/fewer shibboleth is not worth our attention.
Brian (9), the grocery store I go to also ditched its express lane several years ago, but most people still treat the first lane like one. They never put in self-checkout. It’s always funny when someone pulls up to that lane with two full carts and everyone looks daggers at them.
John (10): The rule is one of style, not word definition or grammar. It’s the rule in Standard American English. If you need a reference, look in the Chicago Manual of Style, the APA Publication Manual, or the Little, Brown Handbook.
It’s okay to disagree that SAE is a good standard (I think it is!) or a useful lens to criticize cartoons or supermarkets (not usually!), but it’s definitely a thing that exists.
Brian in STL – We have a Walmart supermarket – this is not like their regular store, it has only food, pharmacy and non-food items that a regular supermarket would carry. They started some MONTHS ago to redo the store. (Robert had dreams of what would be included in the change, but apparently the months of mess and confusion is to add an outdoor pickup window – big disappointment, he anticipated a deli counter which is actually open – not always closed, and a bakery and such.) (Our Walmarts here – even the “SuperWalmarts” are much smaller than they are elsewhere.)
At the same time as they started this they changed the self-checkouts to regular employee checkouts. We like to pack the bags in opposite order we will be unpacking them at home, so we tend to do self-checkout. At the same time they added 3 self-checkout registers which should be express lanes due to their extremely limited space, but they are not, so we juggle when we are checking out a full order.
Good thing my first job not for my dad was in a supermarket as a cashier. I know how to pack everything so it fits best in the paper bags we bring with us (in NYS as of just about when Covid hit, stores cannot generally use “one time use plastic bags” and can charge for paper bags.) And everyone used to say to me “Why save the bags. They ALWAYS give you them at the store.” Today I filled 3 paper bags and 2 “one time use” bags (which have been used many times more than “one”.)
Comics I Don't Understand 
Cringe! Please, five words or FEWER!
Yes, but this is modeled on the supermarket checkout, which historically gets it wrong.
And further, often you can rescue the “less” by explicitly inserting another noun, and making it a clear non-count one. “Five words or less verbiage”.
No, no… the express lane is for people ordering with 5 words or for Less, should he ever decide he wants to buy coffee there.
Is the therapist going to ask about the real elephant in the room?
I spit my coffee with the sweaty one. Fortunately, I practice safe surfing, with a cover on my screen.
Sherman’s Lagoon: Why does the background change in Panel 3? Is that to justify pouring a liquid underwater? Reminds me of old Drano commercials – pours through water right to the clog.
Nice save, Danny Boy!
The local supermarket chain I use no longer has an express line. During the pandemical, they had reconfigured the registers to have one line, and patrons would be directed to a register when it became available. They kept that, and later added self-check. the latter went from 20 max, to 10, to 15. Like the old express lanes, there is rarely much enforcement of the limit there.
Let’s see, what does “less” mean? Merriam-Webster says, “constituting a more limited number or amount, as in ‘less than three’ or ‘less than half done.’”
in other words, the less/fewer shibboleth is not worth our attention.
Brian (9), the grocery store I go to also ditched its express lane several years ago, but most people still treat the first lane like one. They never put in self-checkout. It’s always funny when someone pulls up to that lane with two full carts and everyone looks daggers at them.
John (10): The rule is one of style, not word definition or grammar. It’s the rule in Standard American English. If you need a reference, look in the Chicago Manual of Style, the APA Publication Manual, or the Little, Brown Handbook.
It’s okay to disagree that SAE is a good standard (I think it is!) or a useful lens to criticize cartoons or supermarkets (not usually!), but it’s definitely a thing that exists.
Brian in STL – We have a Walmart supermarket – this is not like their regular store, it has only food, pharmacy and non-food items that a regular supermarket would carry. They started some MONTHS ago to redo the store. (Robert had dreams of what would be included in the change, but apparently the months of mess and confusion is to add an outdoor pickup window – big disappointment, he anticipated a deli counter which is actually open – not always closed, and a bakery and such.) (Our Walmarts here – even the “SuperWalmarts” are much smaller than they are elsewhere.)
At the same time as they started this they changed the self-checkouts to regular employee checkouts. We like to pack the bags in opposite order we will be unpacking them at home, so we tend to do self-checkout. At the same time they added 3 self-checkout registers which should be express lanes due to their extremely limited space, but they are not, so we juggle when we are checking out a full order.
Good thing my first job not for my dad was in a supermarket as a cashier. I know how to pack everything so it fits best in the paper bags we bring with us (in NYS as of just about when Covid hit, stores cannot generally use “one time use plastic bags” and can charge for paper bags.) And everyone used to say to me “Why save the bags. They ALWAYS give you them at the store.” Today I filled 3 paper bags and 2 “one time use” bags (which have been used many times more than “one”.)