# (legal) "Not Less Than One" \[definition from staff report on serial killers\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [October 21, 2008, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-not-less-than-one-definition-from-staff-report-on-serial-killers/468881 "2008-10-21T13:20:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-not-less-than-one-definition-from-staff-report-on-serial-killers/468881/1 "2008-10-21T13:20:15Z")
In the staff report about sociopaths/serial killers, Gfactor quotes a definition from the U.S. legal code (underlining added by me) [QUOTE=28 U.S.C. § 540B] The term “serial killings” means a series of three or more killings, not less than one of which was committed within the United States… [/QUOTE] Does anyone have a reason for saying “not less than one” instead of “at least one”? I admit the possibility that it’s just someone trying to sound more legal-like by being more obfuscatory, but wondered if there’s some not-obvious reason for using the more awkward construction. * * * Link to Staff Report: [What’s the difference between sociopaths, psychopaths, serial killers, etc.? - The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2815/whats-the-difference-between-sociopaths-psychopaths-serial-killers-etc) ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-not-less-than-one-definition-from-staff-report-on-serial-killers/468881/2 "2008-10-21T13:48:37Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > In the staff report about sociopaths/serial killers, Gfactor quotes a definition from the U.S. legal code (underlining added by me) > Does anyone have a reason for saying “not less than one” instead of “at least one”? I admit the possibility that it’s just someone trying to sound more legal-like by being more obfuscatory, but wondered if there’s some not-obvious reason for using the more awkward construction. Mathematically, there is no difference between the two, assuming you are talking about whole numbers only. In everyday English, there might be a connotation of “at least one” (and maybe a whole lot more!) vs. “not less than one” (if that!). ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-not-less-than-one-definition-from-staff-report-on-serial-killers/468881/3 "2008-10-21T13:57:31Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > In the staff report about sociopaths/serial killers, Gfactor quotes a definition from the U.S. legal code (underlining added by me) > Does anyone have a reason for saying “not less than one” instead of “at least one”? I admit the possibility that it’s just someone trying to sound more legal-like by being more obfuscatory, but wondered if there’s some not-obvious reason for using the more awkward construction. I’m pretty sure that in addition to being awkward, it’s wrong. It should be “…no less than…” ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-not-less-than-one-definition-from-staff-report-on-serial-killers/468881/4 "2008-10-21T19:16:31Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I’m pretty sure that in addition to being awkward, it’s wrong. > > It should be “…no less than…” Well actually “… no fewer than…” unless you can have partial killings ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-not-less-than-one-definition-from-staff-report-on-serial-killers/468881/5 "2008-10-23T18:21:02Z")
I’m moving this thread from General Questions ot Comments on Staff Reports because the question is about something from a staff report. **Gfactor** General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-not-less-than-one-definition-from-staff-report-on-serial-killers/468881/6 "2008-10-23T18:22:44Z")
I’ve also added some context to the thread title. Here is a link to the staff report: [What’s the difference between sociopaths, psychopaths, serial killers, etc.? - The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2815/whats-the-difference-between-sociopaths-psychopaths-serial-killers-etc) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-not-less-than-one-definition-from-staff-report-on-serial-killers/468881/7 "2008-10-23T21:16:52Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > …Does anyone have a reason for saying “not less than one” instead of “at least one”? I admit the possibility that it’s just someone trying to sound more legal-like by being more obfuscatory, but wondered if there’s some not-obvious reason for using the more awkward construction. Not that I can see. It’s just a slightly more legalistic-sounding phrase. Were I drafting the law, I would use “at least one.” ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-not-less-than-one-definition-from-staff-report-on-serial-killers/468881/8 "2008-10-23T21:23:53Z")
> [@OldGuy](#): > > Well actually “… no fewer than…” unless you can have partial killings You are referring to an urban legend, an old wives’ tale, so to speak; an alleged rule of grammar that has no actual basis in fact. Rather than hijack the thread, I shall simply link to a previous discussion of [this contrived shibboleth](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=9277979&postcount=94).