'Couple,' 'Few,' and 'Several': The (Mostly) Definitive Guide

Re:'Couple,' 'Few,' and 'Several': The (Mostly) Definitive G... by stavros on Sunday October 01, 2023 @05:49AM (#37724351)

Also ESL, I've always considered "a couple" to mean "a loose two". It could be three, maaaaybe four, but if you've gotten to five, you're pushing it.

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Re:'Couple,' 'Few,' and 'Several': The (Mostly) Definitive G... by iteria on Sunday October 01, 2023 @06:38AM (#37724590)

I'm American and that's what I would say for "a couple". "As few" to me is just a small amount compared what is typical. So a few marshmallows might be 2 because generally people have somewhere between 5 and 10. A few skittles might be 5 because people will take a handful normally which is 20 or so skittles. "Several" to me is "a little less than the average amount" so with our previous example 5 marshmallows, 10 skittles.

I'd bet that most people have this kind of relative meaning for these words

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Re:'Couple,' 'Few,' and 'Several': The (Mostly) Definitive G... by fknorangesite on Sunday October 01, 2023 @11:40AM (#37726949)

> if you've gotten to five, you're pushing it.

I agree; five is right out.

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