How many is a few?

A few is probably less than you think

AuntieE

I was told as a small child that "a few" meant some number more than three, and that how many more depended very much on what we were talking about. "Several" likewise denoted an indefinite number of people or things, but certainly more than we would describe as "a few".

I think context defines how many either word actually covers.

Everything that you have written above fits with my own interpretation of those two words.

I was told as a small child that "a few" meant some number more than three, and that how many more depended very much on what we were talking about. "Several" likewise denoted an indefinite number of people or things, but certainly more than we would describe as "a few".

I think context defines how many either word actually covers.

REPORTED SPAM Thintaged

Yes, this thread was started a good few years ago 😃

Grammaretto

This thread is 11 years old. Is this a record? 😅

Wow, wonder if Aunt Aggie has gone home yet?

Possibly your friend had initially invited her relative for a few days and now they were staying longer. She'd probably have said a week if that had been the upfront plan.

A few days to me would mean about 3, a few chips about 7/8, few people attending an event about 20.

Three - and five is the limit.

This thread is 11 years old. Is this a record? 😅

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Phew!

Probably none I would guess Ana

How many is too few to mention?

And what about 'too few'?

How many is a good few ?

and could you have a bad few or a little few?

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

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

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

How many is a few too many?

Repeated is more than once or twice

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.

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

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.

Never enough