One pair means two. A few means a small number. (“I have less than you”/”they are few”) Several, according to his dictionary definition, means “more than two, but not many,” so a few, but not a pair. And some, according to the dictionary, mean “an unspecified quantity or number.” “A few weeks” is, in the absence of a certain definition, what a reasonable person would understand by that term in the given circumstances. The distinction in the definitions seems to refer to the specific region, region or place where you attended primary school. Words were taught this way. A couple was 2. A few were 3 to 4. Several were considered a vague term, with 4 to 8 being the accepted meaning. A dozen were 12, 13 or 14 years old at a farmer`s market. It could be combined with pairs, few and several dozen to give a general estimate.
Some and a group, as well as a group or several, could only be defined in the competition used with a group, and many considered more. We all know that a bubbler and not a fountain is the right term for the fixture or unit, usually in a public space from where you get a glass of water. A fountain is a place where coins are thrown. Yes, I live in Wisconsin. Subscribe to America`s largest dictionary and get thousands of other definitions and an advanced search – ad-free! It is possible for some people to say a couple when they want to say two or even three, but then switch to a couple when they mean three or four or more. But there is no “right” definition – each use differs without the meaning being too misinterpreted. This is EXACTLY what I was taught! In fact, it bothers me that it doesn`t seem to be a well-known thing and that it is used so vaguely that it is widely misinterpreted when used correctly. I`ve gotten to the point where when I start a new job/relationship (boyfriend or not), at some point I clarify the definition so we can be on the same page. It`s nice to find someone who knows and confirms what I`ve been taught. Barton, my husband and two boys sat down at the Taco Bell in Palm Bay, Florida, and discussed this argument at length. I pulled out my trusty smartphone and we started to reduce our disagreements. Then, by a stroke of luck, we stumbled upon your story.
We want you to know that we have chosen to accept your definitions based on the circumstances in which they were adopted. Blessings and “many” thanks. Interesting read. 45 years old and all my life, I insisted that a couple be 3 years old. I had to leave that to the woman. Let`s not forget this: a pair is 2 (a pair) an orthodontic appliance (e.g. birds/pheasants) is 2 half a dozen is 6 a dozen is 12 a dozen baker is 13 (12 plus 1 spare) Then we have: (suffix) uni- (1) (babies) twins; Triplets; quadruplets (quads); etc. (in music) solo; Duet; Trio; Quartet; quintet, etc. (wheels) bicycle; tricycle monopod (feet) (1); Tripod (3) A “pair” means 2 A “some” means 3 to 6 “many” means 7 or more A pair usually means between two and more. Some people use a few to mean about three, but this is not a universal interpretation. Its importance is very relative to context – it often depends on what is being discussed, especially scope and expectations.
Here are some examples of how several vs. Few can be used interchangeably. For example, if you say a few people came, it usually means 2 couples. So, in that sense, several are pretty much the same as pairs or few. Once this expansion of the pair began, nothing stopped them. Pair is now primarily understood to refer to two when used as a simple noun (“they make a beautiful couple”), but is often used to refer to a small indeterminacy of two or more when used in the phrase a few (“I drank a few cups of coffee and now I can`t sleep.”). Its smallness seems relative: a quick check of our citation files shows that the expression was used a few years ago to refer to anything from one year to eight years, although the expression seems to be mainly used by three or four years (if we can check the dates). The words “one” or “one” mean less than “a couple.” Then, according to his logic, you could say, “I only had a few beers,” after consuming more than one suitcase. These “couples” are known as savings. If the Throuple has 4 partners, it is a quad.
Also, it can be a harem if a single person has the final say in the relationship, or a polyfamily if there is a nuclear family, but others can be introduced on an aisle and exit basis as agreed by the family. The use I`ve always known is that a pair is probably 2 but could possibly be 3, a pair is probably 3 but could possibly be 4. The argument I`ve always heard is that if 2 and only two were meant with absolute certainty, the word “couple” or “two” would have been used. The many meanings are now mainly dialectal usage, thankfully. In use, the connotation of several is that it represents more than a few. We have a useful quote in our files sent by a scientific editor: Your theory does not hold. If you call 5 “5” because it is 5, then you should label any other number as its own value instead of giving it an arbitrary value. A man born of a woman is a few days old and full of difficulties. —Job 14:1, King James Bible, 1611 I will share some letters with the world here. — Richard Steele, in The Spectator, 1711 When you say you`ve eaten a few of something, like chips or candy, you might think you`ve eaten three or four, but you might also mean you had 10 or a small handful — especially if they`re small or would normally eat more. There are many other situations where the same number is considered a lot or a lot, especially if it is considered more than normal. Middle English fewe, pronouns and adjectives, from Old English fÄawa; similar to Old High German fÅ little, Latin paucus little, pauper poor, Greek paid-, pais child, Sanskrit putra son I have often heard that people combine pair and little into one set: for example, in a hardware store, “would it be, can I get brushes?” So, would it be 2, 3 or 6? Maybe it would be 2 dice (8) or 3 squares (9)? I loved the comment from Boston, n MA.
In regional dialects, my kids love it when our friend from New Jersey says “legless,” emphasizing croaking. Well, I often tell my wife that I`m going to the pub to have “a few” pints, and that usually equates to 5 or 6. I`m from Wisconsin and I often drank bubblers as a kid. Many are 6, 7, 8 or 9. Because ten is 10. There are two 5. A ten. Ten points. In occasional use, a pair and a few are often used interchangeably to denote a small but non-specific number of things. A pair is often interpreted more strictly than two, or at least about two, maybe three or four, depending on the context. Humph? Maybe you should ask for “a few” or buy your own supply.
🙂 While looking at the planet Jupiter, Galileo discovered that it was accompanied by several small satellites, or moons, orbiting it. [Editor`s note: several = 4 here].— Stephen W. Hawking, A Brief History of Time, 1988. In my studies to teach ESL, we were asked to explain these terms as follows: one pair is 2, one pair is 3 or 4, several are 5 or 6, and many are more than that. Powered by Black`s Law Dictionary, Free 2nd ed., and The Law Dictionary. The only thing I can say for sure is that one pair means two. My primary school teacher told me, “If you`re talking about a beautiful couple, there aren`t three people involved, but only two!” t.esque 60 years In Korea, Korean English classes throughout the country – or at least in the southern half – officially cover this topic.