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Help me settle a silly bet!

Art Klass

Art Klass

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My wife and I disagree on just how many a "few" are. The dictionary does not help much so we decided to leave it up to you. One of us says it's three and the other says it's four. What say you?
 
I've always thought it had to do a lot with context and so, is inexact.

When your wife says she wants to buy just a few pair of shoes this year she probably means twenty.
If y'all are going out for a few eggnogs this evening it is probably three or four.
A few children is two. A few beers with the guys is six.

A few minutes is gender dependent, as in 'I'll be ready to go in a few minutes'. For guys, it's two, for women, it's thirty. :D

'A few more cornsnakes' is as many as you can sneak into the cages before your wife catches you :rofl:
 
Art Klass said:
Okay Lucille. Thanks for nothing.... :) :) :)

Can you commit to one choice of either three or four?
Click to expand...
I personally consider a few as being 3-4 (and by definition, it is a small, but indefinite number). Look at it this way - you're both right!!
 
Does this mean we will be talking about several next? In my usage, several is more than a few...I'll call it 6-8, since you seem to like numbers, lol. 5 is a grey area, falling between a few and several...either term can be used without fear of significant reprisal.
 
I'd say between 7-10
Example, grab me a couple nails =2 .
Grab me several nails = 5-7 or ,
Grab me a few nails = 7-10 .
Grab me a handfull of nails = 10 + .Of course this depends on the size of the nail.
:shrug01:

I dunno, guess its up to the individual in the conversation.And what you are talking about. :)
 
The context is important, but I've always taken it to mean context as in count.

Out of 100, a few is more than 2, but wouldn't necessarily stop at 6-8. If the 'end' or 'total' is not known, it's just more than 2, but less than several. Several is less definitive than few, IMO, and would tend to refer to a number that might depict more than the average, or more than normal. Then you take normal into consideration, realizing that what is normal to one may not be normal to another - then it becomes contextual perception..?

I asked the same question of my brother when I was little, and he told me a few is 3 or more, but I never asked in relation to several.. lol

If nothing else, you've gotten a clear answer that there is no clear answer; my opinion is the bet is a wash-out.

I've had a few bets like that, or was it several...? :D
 
What happens if you have a few dozens of something?

Is it more than a bunch of halfracks?

Then there are bakers dozens.

Braces are two, but how many make several braces? Or a few?

Interesting stuff.
 
Art since i grew up not far from you i will say you need to think like a female does when it comes to shoes . With that said i think it's atleast 4 "pairs" .
 
Had to chime in..
A "baker's dozen" is always 13. Not a vague number.
It was started because if a baker shorted his customers loaves(by weight) he had serious consequances, like having his thumb cut off or something. So a baker would sell a dozen loaves, and add in one extra to be certain that he did not short the customer. Therefor a "baker's" dozen was always 13.
Wolfy, the fount of useless information
 
Art Klass said:
My wife and I disagree on just how many a "few" are. The dictionary does not help much so we decided to leave it up to you. One of us says it's three and the other says it's four. What say you?
Click to expand...
I'll tell you as soon as you can tell me what a "while" is. :p
 
Thanks for your posts guys! We're going to give it a "couple" (2) days before we tally the vote. Keep your posts coming.
I'll tell you as soon as you can tell me what a "while" is.
Click to expand...
My wife tells me it's between 30 minutes and a "few" hours.
 
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