I owe the IRS four times less money than I did last year. Brand X is three times less powerful than Brand A. Danny DeVito is two times smaller than Shaquille O'Neal.

Some folks say these sentences come up short, to say nothing of Danny DeVito.

"I have a problem with the use of 'times smaller,'" writes Gregory Fischer of Allentown, New Jersey. To show how universal the problem is, he sends along this newspaper headline: "Largest galaxy located; Milky Way at least 60 times smaller."

Star wars aside, the usual case against "times smaller" and other subtractive constructions goes like this: Because "times" denotes multiplication, it should be used only to compare something big with something small (as in "four times more money" and "three times more powerful") but never to compare something small with something big.

Language expert Bryan Garner presents another argument against using "times smaller." The phrase "one time," he explains, denotes the entire value (100%) of the cost, distance, size or any other measure. Thus, if you take away "one time" something, you've taken away all there is of it, making it impossible to take away "two times" or "three times" of it.

Thus, rather than saying "four times less money" or "three times less powerful," we should say "one-fourth the money" or "one-third the power" because such fractions are more mathematically precise.

But, to me at least, the mathematical accuracy argument against "times smaller" doesn't add up. Anyone with a brain four times smaller than a dinosaur's can figure out that four times smaller probably means one-quarter the size. That's a no-brainer, er... quarter-brainer.

No, the problem with "four times smaller" is linguistic habit. Ever since we diligently mastered our times tables in elementary school, e.g., "7 times 9 is 56," we've associated the word "times" with multiplication. (Well, SOME of us mastered our times tables.)

Thus, we should avoid phrases like "four times smaller," not because of their alleged mathematical imprecision, but for the simple reason that they sound funny. To us, "times" will always mean "bigger."

The newest edition of Fowlers Modern English Usage puts it 10 times more eloquently than I can. It tells us to assume "times" normally implies multiplication, and to restrict its use to contexts in which multiplication is plainly intended.

So, be fruitful and multiply — and let the GOOD times roll.

Rob Kyff, a teacher and writer in West Hartford, Connecticut, invites your language sightings. His new book, "Mark My Words," is available for $9.99 on Amazon.com. Send your reports of misuse and abuse, as well as examples of good writing, via email to [email protected] or by regular mail to Rob Kyff, Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254.

Photo credit: Edar at Pixabay