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I think "couple" is pretty typically accepted as being "two", at least in most US settings; I can't speak for international variations. In my home area of centr
by QuarterReptile 4y ago
I think "couple" is pretty typically accepted as being "two", at least in most US settings; I can't speak for international variations. In my home area of central Pennsylvania "couple" is a more general, meaning anywhere between 2 and 4, but I think that usage is rather the exception than the rule.
Nonetheless, we can probably give them a pass for saying "couple" instead of "nearly three" since January 2020.
- jwilk 4y agohttps://xkcd.com/1070/ https://xkcd.com/1070/
- zargon 4y agoA rare instance of xkcd being just plain wrong. ;) "a couple" = 2 "a few" = 3 (maaaybe 4) "several" = 4 to 7 "a handful" = context dependent, usually ambiguous
- quickthrower2 4y agoA few: count of 2 to 10% of a sample in my book. There are only a few people who understand quantum mechanics, for example
- zargon 4y agoYeah I guess that works for me.
- TecoAndJix 4y agoAlso from central PA: my dad and I had this discussion years ago and he argued the syllables made the count: (1)A (2)Few and (1)A (2)Coup (3)le. I was in the other camp that a couple is two (husband and wife) and a few was much more loose on definition (2-5).