Not silly at all!
You can run less than 10 in 10 frame brood boxes, but I'd recommend against it.
In the brood boxes, if you have 9 (and many people do), they will just draw out the honey in the top of the frame thick anyway. I had just as much trouble with 9 as with 10 - the frames weren't as tight, but I was rolling as many bees on the honey part.
It does make it tight in there, but that also gives them an extra frame for brood.
As far as honey supers - that isn't such a big deal to run 8 or 9. Then they draw out the comb any way to fill the space.
Disclaimer: ALWAYS start out new frames/foundation with 10 frames(pressed togather in the middle) until the frames are drawn out. If you try spacing 9 frames of foundation in a super, they will draw it out badly.