"-less" means "less than"? Or "lacking"?

[Wilson Gray]

On May 31, 2005, at 1:45 PM, Laurence Horn wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: "-less" means "less than"? Or "lacking"?
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>> I recently bought "stainless steel" forks and knives from Crate and
>> Barrel.
>> The product description (included inside the box, not posted outside)
>> read
>> "Will It Stain?
>> Yes. The name says it all. It's stain-less steel, not stain-free
>> steel! Nevertheless, it will stain much less than other steels:
>> silver, bronze, etc. With proper care, staining can be minimized or
>> eliminated."

To me, this looks like a scam. In all my born days, which are
uncomfortably close to seventy, I've never known a single instance in
which stainless steel has become stained. This is also the experience
of my 94-year-old mother. It's probably not impossible to stain
stainless steel, but ordinary kitchen use won't stain it. I'd return
that junk to C&B and, after I'd gotten my money back or received a
credit ["received a credit" - is that right or should it be "received
credit" or another construction?] suggest to them that they no longer
deal with that company.

-Wilson Gray

>>
>> Is this anything more than the manufacturer's careful wit? I
>> wondered if that history is correct-- did the suffix "less" at one
>> point simply indicate a comparison, as in "less than" or
>> "comparatively little"?  I had always thought it meant "without"--
>> painless = no pain, wireless = no wire, etc.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Darcie Dennigan
>
> Opens up a world of possibilities--
> "Yes, I promised you endless love--but I only meant *less* end, not
> *no* end.  Bye now."
>
> And what of deathless prose?  or timeless heirlooms?  or ceaseless
> counterexamples?
>
> Larry
>