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How many is a few?

(30 Posts)
shysal Thu 16-Apr-15 17:08:05

Somebody told me today that a relative was staying with her for a few days. I thought this meant about 3 days, but she says a few is about 7! I would have called that several! The dictionary says a few is not many, a good few is several, and several is a few!!!! confused
What would you say?

BiNtHeReDuNiT14 Thu 16-Apr-15 17:13:28

I always understood a 'few' to mean 3 when growing up, so can't think of it any other way.

Ana Thu 16-Apr-15 17:20:59

I think it depends on what's being discussed. I'd say 'a few' days would be 5 or 6. If it just meant three, there wouldn't be a need for such a phrase! confused

Agus Thu 16-Apr-15 17:26:11

I would think of a few as 4 at the most. If it is about 7 days she is staying, I would have said about a week.

pompa Thu 16-Apr-15 17:45:07

A few is more that a couple and less than a handful.

Ana Thu 16-Apr-15 17:57:41

The dictionary definition of 'several' is more than two but not very many, but that sounds more like my definition of 'a few'!

'Several', to me, indicates quite a lot - it's obviously a personal thing!

rosequartz Thu 16-Apr-15 18:02:41

I would have called it a week, too!

Four days is a maximum I would have thought, depending on how you get on with the relative grin

Elegran Thu 16-Apr-15 18:15:53

I'd have thought that a few days could be counted on one hand, several on two hands, and "a lot" would be more than that.

I believe a tribe was once discovered which had only three number words - one, two and many.

rosequartz Thu 16-Apr-15 18:17:42

Although I suppose if you said that the political rally was only attended by 'a few' it could mean 20 instead of hundreds hmm

Ana Thu 16-Apr-15 18:18:30

If a few is three or four, how many is 'quite a few'?

Agus Thu 16-Apr-15 18:28:08

Re relatives roseq. I would say 3 days maintain good relations grin

Elegran Thu 16-Apr-15 19:06:35

What is that saying again? "Guests and fish stink after three days"

annsixty Thu 16-Apr-15 19:09:27

3 or 4. 2 is a couple and 5 several. A week is a week.

Coolgran65 Thu 16-Apr-15 19:13:44

I'd have said 3 or 4.

Elegran oops.... we head off tomorrow to Carlisle for a week with our son, dil and 3 month old dgs. A few more that your recommended 3 days !!

rosesarered Thu 16-Apr-15 19:14:43

Three or four is what I think of as a few.One is just one, a couple is two, so it must mean between three and six otherwise it would be a week.

Ana Thu 16-Apr-15 19:16:59

What if it's chips you're talking about, though? grin

annsixty Thu 16-Apr-15 19:19:40

Never enoughgrin

tiggypiro Thu 16-Apr-15 19:20:14

You have me worried now Elegran !! I'm going to stay with a friend tomorrow for 6 days. Hope I don't start stinking.
I agree that a few is 3 or 4.

AshTree Thu 16-Apr-15 20:10:21

I agree too that a few, in terms of days, is 3 or 4. I can't see why it would be an absolute number, e.g. 3, as one poster has said, because why on earth would the term have come about? That is manifestly absurd. A few, several, some, a goodly number, quite a number, quite a few... they're all ways of describing an unknown quantity.
Someone told me many years ago that originally a 'moment' was one and a half minutes, and not the unspecified period of time it implies today.
I've only just remembered this and googled it. I came up with this fascinating wiki article

annodomini Thu 16-Apr-15 21:39:59

I've always thought of 'a few' as three or four. Seven days is not 'about a week' - it is a week! I'd say a 'moment' is what you make it. People often say, 'wait a second' when they couldn't possibly do whatever it might be in so short a time.

Galen Thu 16-Apr-15 22:19:33

Repeated is more than once or twice

Ana Thu 16-Apr-15 22:52:35

How many is a few too many? confused

Agus Thu 16-Apr-15 23:37:24

About seven days is, about a week. A definite seven days wasn't mentioned anno

rosequartz Fri 17-Apr-15 11:26:43

It's is more than a two or three large glasses of wine Ana

rosequartz Fri 17-Apr-15 11:27:24

No, I haven't had more than three already this morning (my ungrammatical post above) grin