Fewer. Less than refers to degrees, fewer refers to number.
Natter 65: Speed Limit Enforced by Aircraft
Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, pandas, duct tape, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.
Fewer. That's what you use for discrete items.
eta: inevitable x-post. stop trying to evit it.
My class phone only takes in school calls and I always answer, "Good Morning, this is Kathryn Blah Blah Blah"
Fewer. That's what you use for discrete items.
Brown paper bags are what you use for discreet items.
I answer with department name, my first name, and if I'm answering our customer service line, "can I help you?"
Fewer than three people. People are countable.
Of course, xpost. Note from linguistics friend when she told us about this--apparently in Russian, bread is countable. As in you can have three bread (vs here you have to have loaves of bread or slices or kinds or?) I guess. Or maybe just in a less vs fewer way. Dunno.
If you'd ask "how many?" then it's "fewer." If you'd ask "how much?" then it's "less."
Or alien face-sucker. Whichever.
I answer "Hello, this is Matt" when someone transfers a call to me at work, and "[company name], may I help you?" when I answer directly.