When I was learning English in the late 40's/Early 50's, we were taught that the only use of the word "lot" was as an item or items in an auction: To use it to describe "a large number of" was a no, no of the level of "Nearly unique".
But like so many things that, and the reason for it, is lost in modern usage.
My grandmother referred to "An alarum clock" and a removal truck/lorry, as a "pantechnican"!