Welcome to the Grammar Minute, where we’re saving the English language sixty seconds at a time! I’m Lauren Smyth, and I have more than a hundred books. I have a great reading light over my bed.

So what, you say. Well, did you notice that “more than” and “over?” Many people are tempted to use them to mean the same thing. “I have over a hundred books” instead of “I have more than a hundred books.”

Now you’re expecting me to say that’s incorrect. And personally, no, I don’t like it. Just because you have more of something doesn’t mean that it’s taller or somehow above the smaller version, which, in my mind, is what the preposition “over” implies. But that doesn’t mean it’s technically wrong. The Associated Press style guide has consistently been a stickler for this rule, but even they recently changed their minds and said that “over” can be used in place of “more than.”

So here’s my advice, which you can take or leave: Don’t.

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