List of English Words With Disputed Usage - L

L

• less – Some prescriptivists argue that less should not be substituted for fewer. Merriam-Webster notes "The traditional view is that less applies to matters of degree, value, or amount and modifies collective nouns, mass nouns, or nouns denoting an abstract whole while fewer applies to matters of number and modifies plural nouns. Less has been used to modify plural nouns since the days of King Alfred and the usage, though roundly decried, appears to be increasing. Less is more likely than fewer to modify plural nouns when distances, sums of money, and a few fixed phrases are involved <less than 100 miles> less than $2000> less> and as likely as fewer to modify periods of time less (or fewer) than four hours>"
  • Disputed usage: This lane 12 items or less.
  • Undisputed usage: We had fewer players on the team this season.
  • Undisputed usage: There is less water in the tank now.

• like and as – Some prescriptivists object to the use of like as a conjunction, stating it is rather a preposition and that only as would be appropriate in this circumstance. M-W, however, cites like's use as a conjunction as standard since the 14th century, and opines that opposition to it is "perhaps more heated than rational" (see M-W's entry "like "). AHD4 says "Writers since Chaucer's time have used like as a conjunction, but 19th-century and 20th-century critics have been so vehement in their condemnations of this usage that a writer who uses the construction in formal style risks being accused of illiteracy or worse", and recommends using as in formal speech and writing. OED does not tag it as colloquial or nonstandard, but notes, "Used as conj: = 'like as', as. Now generally condemned as vulgar or slovenly, though examples may be found in many recent writers of standing." Chambers lists the conjunctive use as "colloquial".
  • Undisputed usage. He is an American as am I.
  • Undisputed usage. He is an American like me.
  • Undisputed usage. It looks as if this play will be a flop.
  • Undisputed usage. This play looks like a flop.
  • Disputed usage. He is an American like I am.
  • Disputed usage. It looks like this play will be a flop.

• literally – Some prescriptivists argue literally should not be used as a mere emphatic, unless the thing to which it refers is actually true. It is used to disambiguate a possible metaphorical interpretation of a phrase. M-W does not condemn the second use, which means "in effect" or "virtually", but says "the use is pure hyperbole intended to gain emphasis, but it often appears in contexts where no additional emphasis is necessary".
  • Disputed usage: The party literally went off with a bang. (No, it did not, unless there was an actual loud noise.)
  • Undisputed usage: I literally ran more than 25 miles today. I ran a marathon.

• loan – The use of loan as a verb meaning "to give out a loan" is disputed, with lend being preferred for the verb form. AHD4 flatly states "he verb loan is well established in American usage and cannot be considered incorrect"; M-W states "...loan is entirely standard as a verb". RH says "Sometimes mistakenly identified as an Americanism, loan as a verb meaning "to lend" has been used in English for nearly 800 years"; it further states that objections to this use "are comparatively recent". Chambers defines the verb loan as "to lend (especially money)". OED merely states "Now chiefly U.S.", and COD11 includes the meaning without tag or comment.
  • Undisputed usage. I lent him some money.
  • Undisputed usage. Fill out the paperwork for a loan.
  • Disputed usage. I loaned him some money.