The number of people.
You can't have an amount of people unless you're using a blender. Perhaps that's the solution?
(sabre-tooth monkey, Wed 6 Apr 2011, 13:50, 1 reply)

True, true... Although my grammatical error is unlikely to endanger people.
Usage note The traditional distinction between amount and number is that amount is used with mass or uncountable nouns (the amount of paperwork; the amount of energy) and number with countable nouns (a number of songs; a number of days). Although objected to, the use of amount instead of number with countable nouns occurs in both speech and writing, especially when the noun can be considered as a unit or group (the amount of people present; the amount of weapons) or when it refers to money (the amount of dollars paid; the amount of pennies in the till).
( @><|= w0nu!) or cunt to my friends, Wed 6 Apr 2011, 14:40, closed)

Crikey.
I stand by my original pedantry, though not with any keenness. I think Americans may use "an amount of dollars" - where did your usage note come from? As a Brit, I'd use "an amount of money" and treat pounds as discrete rather than continuous. I'd do the same for people, right through to quantities of the order of, say, the number of people in the world.

Another edit: I'm much more interested in this than which lane to drive in. I mostly stay left, unless I spot the BMW badge from a long way away. Then I try to pass someone in the left lane at precisely 0.1mph faster than they are going.
(sabre-tooth monkey, Wed 6 Apr 2011, 16:20, closed)

Fear not, you're right
As a Brit too, I just managed to find something a little bit more "colourful" in its answer.


_{If I were a Yank, shirley I'd expect them to move to the right/}
( @><|= w0nu!) or cunt to my friends, Thu 7 Apr 2011, 0:49, closed)