This bothers me as well. Fewer is for quantities. Less is for unquantifiable things. E.g. I need less water and fewer sprinklers for my garden.
edit: expanding on this, you can always think about it like, I don’t have five waters (unless you’re in a restaurant?), but I can have five sprinklers.
The easiest way is to ask yourself if it can be counted. Water can’t be counted, but bottles of water can, as can sprinklers, to your point. “Can I count it?” Just makes it more simple to approach.
Fewer
This bothers me as well. Fewer is for quantities. Less is for unquantifiable things. E.g. I need less water and fewer sprinklers for my garden.
edit: expanding on this, you can always think about it like, I don’t have five waters (unless you’re in a restaurant?), but I can have five sprinklers.
The easiest way is to ask yourself if it can be counted. Water can’t be counted, but bottles of water can, as can sprinklers, to your point. “Can I count it?” Just makes it more simple to approach.
I told you not to call me that in public.