Grammar Hammer: The March Hare Has Less Tea, Fewer Cups


The March Hare, a minor character in Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland,” is remembered for his antics at the infamous tea party with the Mad Hatter and the Dormouse, whom Alice stumbles upon during her wanderings down the rabbit hole.

Like all hares and rabbits in early spring, the March Hare is frenzied, or “mad as a March Hare,” as the saying goes. This particular hare seems mad about tea; he repeatedly offers Alice a cup and then whisks it away every time she tries to drink. By the end of the party, he has considerably less tea, or fewer cups of tea, illustrating the grammatical adage that “fewer” refers to quantifiable amounts and “less” refers to uncountable amounts.

Here are some other examples:

  • The Dormouse (whose name is a play on the French verb “to sleep”) is a lazy rodent who has fewer hours in the day because he sleeps so much.
  • The Mad Hatter, on the other hand, gets significantly less sleep because he’s incessantly singing “The Unbirthday Song,” annoying everyone around him.
  • There are fewer empty seats at the tea party after Alice sits down, leaving less space at the table for others.
  • Hoping they would call her back, Alice has fewer Wonderland characters to meet and less time to meet them after leaving the Hare, Hatter and Dormouse, still at their tea.

Whether or not you’re less mad than the March Hare, hopefully you’ll make fewer grammatical mistakes if you remember this rule.


5 responses to “Grammar Hammer: The March Hare Has Less Tea, Fewer Cups

  1. Dear Grace,
    Dear Grace, I absolutely adore your article on the March Hare. You write with a rare taste, flair, and beauty. I am so excited to read more by you.
    Jim Nico, CEO l Founder l Co-Host
    Social Network Intermedia
    The Social Network Show™

  2. “I am not sure how Dear Grace appeared in the body of my comment twice.” …The Mad Hatter said to the Dormouse, whose tea had suddenly turned cold. “Oh my, Oh my”, Alice was purported to say: ” twice is one time to many and will not suit the works, but I shall not explain why, on this or other quirks…”

  3. What a lovely compliment! Thanks so much Jim :-)

    • You’re welcome. How rare to read someone with your transcendent grasp of the subtle nuances, meanings, rhythms of writing. During the first second I read your writing I had that instant and rare thrill not unlike my first encounter with Nabokov and Nietzsche, not to mention Carroll… ! I bet you speak with the same transcendent flair. What a rare talent you are. I am grateful to read your writing. Sincerely yours, Jim

  4. Pingback: Day 20-Happiness is … like a tea tray in the sky « 365waystobehappy

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