More Than vs. Over: Which Side Are You On?

Late last week, the editors of the AP Stylebook announced that "more than" and "over" can now be used interchangeably. To those outside the journalism and public relations realm, this change to AP Style isn't a big deal. In fact, most people aren't even aware of the change (and many don't care). There's no doubt though that this seemingly minor change has sparked some serious debate (you should see my social media feeds).

All of the grammar nerds out there know that "more than" is used when referring to numbers, while "over" is used when talking about the physical or spatial relationship of two objects. While I understand why the AP Stylebook editors made this change, I don't know that I agree with their decision. The change is due to the fact that people currently use both interchangeably not realizing that they may be using the word(s) incorrectly.

A dear friend of mine explained that, from a marketing perspective, she is excited about the free pass "over" is getting. She explained that using "over" could allow for more succinct communication, especially when expressing something like, "We were $50K over budget" instead of, "We exceeded the budget by more than $50K."

In my opinion, just because a group of people do something one way, that doesn't make it right or correct. Folks often misuse "empathy" and "sympathy," but that doesn't make the words interchangeable. You could argue this point for the use of "your" and "you're" or even "there," "their" and "they're." See what I mean? Just because people are misusing words doesn't mean we should change the rules to make it acceptable.

It frightens me when I speak to my friends that teach. Kids today are using shorthand in their essays and English papers; they use "cuz" instead of "because," "u" instead of "you," and the dreaded "idk" in place of "I don't know." While I know this small change to the AP Stylebook isn't the end of the written word, I do believe that it’s just the beginning of similar changes to come.

Here are some other opinions on the matter:

• AP Stylebook update: A sign of our times by Kelly McBride

• In Defense Of More Than: Why The AP Stylebook Editors Made A Bad Decision by Mark McClennan, APR

• "More Than" Vs. "Over": Journalists Threaten "Uprising" Over AP Rule Change by Lisa Fernandez

What do you think? Which side are you on?