Do Americans actually use “a couple” to mean more than two?
Posted by Edi-Iz@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 738 comments
Genuine question from a non-native speaker. Where I’m from, “a couple” always means exactly 2, but I’ve noticed in the US it can sometimes mean 3 or 4 or just “a few” in general Like someone says “I’ll be there in a couple minutes” and it ends up being longer :) Is this just casual speech, or does it depend on the person or region? I feel like I’m never 100% sure what number to expect
whitedogz@reddit
Native speaker from New England - I always use a couple to mean two. A few would be three and then several would be 4 or 5. Couldn't defend why, but that is what I have used to date.
Nonnie0224@reddit
I’m American and have never heard a couple meaning more than two. 3-5 is a few.
SelectCattle@reddit
Only the stupid ones. But, about 50% of Americans are of below average intelligence.
EagleCatchingFish@reddit
It usually means "two," but it also can mean "an unspecified small number that is probably two, but if it's three or four, I wouldn't be surprised."
16BitGenocide@reddit
I find it often depends on what we're quantifying. My 'couple' is less than 'a few', even less than 'several', and a far cry from 'many', 'a lot', or 'fuck loads'.
There's a few strips of bacon left can mean 2-4. I'll be home in a couple of hours can mean the same. My wife is a stickler for this, and these arguments always end in 'who's on first' style jokes.
RodneyBarringtonIII@reddit
When I was a kid I was thought that "few" refers specifically to a quantity between three and eleven. Idk if anyone else adheres to that definition, though.
Po-Ta-Toessss@reddit
And if there’s too much to quantify I like to use a metric fuckton
EagleCatchingFish@reddit
When it comes to a scenario as with stakes as high as the amount of bacon left, I'm with your wife. 4 strips? You can make a BLT with that. Two strips? You've got two choices: put them on the bread and try to convince yourself you're eating a full BLT or just eat the bacon straight, thinking "man I wish I had a BLT." Funny enough, this also determines whether you're standing or sitting while eating that bacon.
16BitGenocide@reddit
In hindsight, Bacon was probably the worst example. There are times when 'a few' can mean less than 'a couple', and it defies logic and reasoning. None of these terms should indicate absolute certainty though, 'there's some Bacon left in the kitchen' means there was some there last I looked, could be gone, could be more.
We had a 'couple of beers' for example almost never means two, but for whatever reason, 'we had a few beers' usually does mean two. Why? Who knows.
EagleCatchingFish@reddit
A guy further down mentioned that when he's got the kids and his wife is having wine with her friends, "I'll be home in a couple minutes" somehow stretches to 2.5 hours. Now, I'm not a scientist, but I recall a guy by the name of Albert Einstein said that mass can change the passage of time. With beer and wine, it appears that science needs to quantify this effect. Does the type of beer have an effect? How many pilsnerhours does it take to equal a Shirazsecond? Science needs to get to the bottom of this, You know, after a couple beers and in a couple minutes.
k8username@reddit
Clearly more research is needed
Queer_Advocate@reddit
You don't have to go to AA if it's for science. Unless you're doing frequent and copius amounts of science. Then you may need to locate a meeting.
16BitGenocide@reddit
But is this a few sciences? a couple? a metric fuck load of science?
k8username@reddit
Some efficient researchers get all the research done and can retire
anfilco@reddit
I used to be a bouncer. When I was checking IDs at the door, everyone I asked how much they'd had to drink stated they'd only had two beers, regardless of how intoxicated they were.
We wondered at this statistically anomalous mathematical marvel, and eventually decided that since any quantity of alcohol could in fact be split into two smaller quantities, and given the nebulous definition of "one" beer, the question was not one of quantity, but of mass, and that "two" was in fact as correct an answer as almost any other.
16BitGenocide@reddit
Everyone has two drinks, a first drink, and the last drink.
Queer_Advocate@reddit
I used to drink the giant Foster's. 2 beers, but still drunk.
mfigroid@reddit
God damn, you're right!
aachensjoker@reddit
Thanks for that.
I got quite a chuckle.
Though, i didnt understand the standing or sitting part.
Euphoric_Loquat_8651@reddit
Sit down to eat the BLT. Stand at the counter to polish off two strips.
aachensjoker@reddit
Oh, is it going to be a snack or an actual meal
Gotcha
GroundbreakingRun186@reddit
Disagree. I use a couple and a fuck load interchangeably. If there are 2 lions in your bedroom is that a couple lions or a fuck load of lions. It’s both. Same with pillows.
16BitGenocide@reddit
That's a murder of lions. Different unit of measure lol
GroundbreakingRun186@reddit
A fuck load of crows is called a murder. A fuck load of lions is a pride. Either way. Fuck load works for even single units of measure.
If there’s 2 billion gum balls in your trunk, that’s a fuck load of gum balls. If there’s just one dead raccoon in your living room. That’s a fuck load of dead reasons
jmorrow88msncom@reddit
I disagree. A few cannot equal 2.
jmorrow88msncom@reddit
3-5 is a few. Otherwise, you could request a half dozen, an 8-pack, or a couple handfuls.
16BitGenocide@reddit
So why is it, a good night out with friends involves a couple of drinks (meaning 5-20), and a bad night out with friends have a few drinks means literally 2-3?
geaddaddy@reddit
Where does a 'crap ton' fit in there? More than 'a lot', less than 'fuck loads'?
comrade_zerox@reddit
Those are metric units. Americans only know metric in the context of bullets and drugs, or socket wrenches if youre a mechanic
freedux4evr1@reddit
I disagree, just like there are imperial tons and metric tons there are both imperial and metric shit tons and ass loads, etc...
itds@reddit
Don’t forget the fucktons.
Cottonjaw@reddit
WIth no knowledge of the conversion, if we throw a "metric" in front of anything, its an amplifier.
16BitGenocide@reddit
Crap Tons and Metric Shit Tons are both units of measurement for Bullshit, and only bullshit.
You wouldn't want a crap ton of Bacon. You'd want a shit load.
I'll see myself out.
BigEnd3@reddit
A-couple-a pieces of bacon (a small enough number of pieces that would be easy to count. Certainly did not count them in making this statement) A couple is comming over for dinner. (Two people are comming over for dinne)
Cautious-Buffalo-182@reddit
How does shit ton compare to fuck load?
AdamOnFirst@reddit
Yeah, “a few” is definitely more than two.
Edi-Iz@reddit (OP)
Haha yeah that hierarchy makes total sense :)
boodyclap@reddit
Closer to 2 than 6
CB_Chuckles@reddit
I’ve always described it as the difference between “couple of” vs “coupla”.
SevenSixOne@reddit
Right, it means the speaker doesn't know or care about the exact number, and/or the exact number is irrelevant
DogsBikesAndMovies@reddit
This is definitely a regional thing. In Seattle, "a couple" means two, and that is THE only way to use that word here. If it's three or four, you'd say "a few".
Edi-Iz@reddit (OP)
Yeah that’s a really good way to explain it :) it’s basically “around two, but not strict” I think that’s what makes it confusing for non-native speakers, because it sounds exact but isn’t always used that way
213737isPrime@reddit
not strict but almost absolutely never exactly one
EagleCatchingFish@reddit
You bring up a good point. In linguistics, we call this area "pragmatics," which relates not necessarily to the dictionary definition of words, but the way that the words are used, and how that can affect their meaning.
Specifically in this instance, "a couple" does convey a numerical meaning, but pragmatically, the much more important meaning it conveys is that the speaker isn't completely sure on the number or didn't take the effort to get an exact count, or believes that the number could change between the point that the speaker made the count and when they were asked about it.
And all of that is preface to this point: non-native speakers can be excused for not knowing that because English generally does not succinctly express the speaker's certainty about the facts they are saying. It's not generally that important in English. In some languages, "I know this" vs "I think this" is so important that it's part of the grammar itself. Korean and Japanese are good examples of that. In English, you generally have to almost corcumlocute your certainty about what you're saying, and "a couple" and "a few" are ways we express that in a language where we usually don't express that idea.
Euphoric_Ice_6647@reddit
American here. Yes, a couple means 2 and then a few means 3 here.
Agile-Direction8081@reddit
Except when it doesn’t. “A couple dozen guys couldn’t have moved it” does not mean exactly 24 guys; it means somewhere from 18 to 30. Similarly, “see you in a couple of hours” does not mean exactly two hours. These are often loose terms. And “see you in a few” can mean literally any amount of time.
ForumDragonrs@reddit
It seems to depend on a lot on the person and their own personal context. Some people will be very specific, some very loose. It's all about knowing the person.
FlyByPC@reddit
See also: "a couple, three, four beers."
ForumDragonrs@reddit
Two tree? More like ten twelve.
Certain_Luck_8266@reddit
Like: "honey, I'm at the bar with my friends for a couple of drinks, I'll be home in a couple of hours"
absolut696@reddit
Haha I made this comment somewhere else. It’s really the perfect example 😂
BroCanWeGetLROTNOG@reddit
I think this is the best answer. It means 2, but like probably, about 2. Not exactly.
absolut696@reddit
Yea like when you tell your wife your going out for a “couple beers”.
Nojopar@reddit
My dad (who is a mathematician, for what it's worth) used to say it's 2 for potentially large values of 2.
EagleCatchingFish@reddit
I love it. I'm stealing that one.
EagleCatchingFish@reddit
Your comment is the most concise way I've seen it put. Well said.
Dense_Gur_2744@reddit
Right? Like gimme a couple a chips.
shelwood46@reddit
I would say "a couple few" (I always mean 2 when I say only "a couple" but I am annoying that way).
Admiral52@reddit
Yeah I had a couple of beers
firesquasher@reddit
Logic fail. A couple of beers with the boys is usually 4-6. 😆
Admiral52@reddit
Yeah. A couple. That’s what I said
Bagette1@reddit
Perfect explanation!
crypticcamelion@reddit
It is important to notice the second meaning. When talking about beer or drinks a couple goes from "an unspecified small number" to many...
koolaideprived@reddit
If I'm referring to 2-4 but am unsure I will say "a couple few." I have no idea where I picked it up but it has stuck.
DawaLhamo@reddit
I also say "a couple few". I last saw him a couple few years ago.
igottathinkofaname@reddit
I tried explaining this to my girlfriends, but they weren’t having any of it. That’s why I’m a couple these days…
Complex_Performer_63@reddit
Weird. I also live in Oregon, for 43 years, and have always understood “a couple” to mean exactly 2. I use, and have understood everyone around me to use, “a few” as an unspecified small number, usually 3-5 but could be more.
BoysenberryAdvanced4@reddit
A "couple" should mean two and only two. A couple is literally a pair or two. But i think this is one of those words that the majority of the population has used in the wrong way so often that the wrong way is now right way.
sjedinjenoStanje@reddit
I'm guessing you're German. What did I win?
raduisbae@reddit
It’s politically correct in western europe to laud certain groups like asians in america as being smarter than the people in all European nations, which is statistically true too lol. In general, it’s also more acceptable to bash eastern european nations as well as larger EU countries like germany, france, and UK in western europe as well. It’s okay to bash canada too
SRC2088@reddit
Only when a cop asks me how many beers I've had
FatHighKnee@reddit
No couple = 2. A few = 3 or more
SeaZone5264@reddit
Im American, its always meant exactly 2 to me
nh_paladin@reddit
To me, a couple is relative to the context, and is always less than a few, which is generally less that several. All have some reasonable limit, of course. Generally, I would never gotten se a couple for more than 4-5, a couple of million might range higher depending on what we were talking about, for instance.If in doubt I think a few covers a much wider range
Oddly-Specific-Point@reddit
So for things like napkins or something, couple just means the smallest logical amount but for things like beers - it would be exactly two.
Bigfoot_Input@reddit
No. A couple means 2. A few is 3 or 4. Anything after that is several until you get to 10-12, then it's a lot.
billymondy5806@reddit
I think a couple can be between two and four.
mythicalwolf00@reddit
It actually angers me to learn some places use 'couple' to mean more then 2.
A couple means exactly 2.
3 or more is a few.
lmprice133@reddit
This is definitely not just an American thing. Using 'couple' to mean something other than strictly two occurs on both sides of the Atlantic.
Character-Tennis-241@reddit
A couple means 2, a few means three or more.
RageDeemz@reddit
By definition "a couple" means two, but in reality it can range anywhere between two, a few, and several
elpollodiablox@reddit
Depending on context it can be used as a ballpark term. Your example of "a couple of minutes" is a good one.
Another example:
Friend: "You been to that new restaurant downtown?"
Me: "Yeah, my wife and I have been there a couple of times."
MillieBirdie@reddit
I'm American and my husband is Irish and I do this to him a lot. To him, couple is exactly two to me it's some, a few, a handful, whatever. I'm not counting out exactly two most of the time.
Edi-Iz@reddit (OP)
I noticed the same thing when learning English it only really clicked after speaking practice I’ve been using Praktika for that and it helped a lot with these ‘vague meaning’ words
Many_Pea_9117@reddit
Couple means literally only 2, it doesnt mean anything else. But people often say what they think something is, but are not certain. If you are looking at something then you would never say there is a couple if it is more than 2. But if you are recounting something from memory, and you dont trust your memory, then a couple miiight be 3 or rarely even 4. But the definition of a couple is absolutely always 2. It just isnt always used precisely.
HooksNHaunts@reddit
A couple is 2, a few is 3, a handful is more.
Ericakat@reddit
I use it to mean a few.
TheClubsterFist@reddit
Couple = 2 Few = 3
spontaneousvibration@reddit
No. As an American, couple only ever means two to everyone I know.
Comfortable_Use_8407@reddit
Sounds like you have been speaking with stupid Americans (there are many). To most of us "a couple" means two, "a few" means three. When speaking of time "a couple of minutes" is meant as a short amount of time, which as you discovered, rarely is a short amount of time..
visitor987@reddit
Couple always means two in formal speech,, but in slang it can mean any number
aaron_judgement@reddit
2 or a low number
Royal_Thrashing@reddit
A couple means two, a few is at least three.
Notstin@reddit
Couple means two. A few is 3-4 to me. Any more and you assign a number
ImmediateAd7069@reddit
Only the people who are constantly late and trying to justify being an hour or two late. Meeting in a couple of hours becomes 4 hours
Rare4orm@reddit
Hmmm. How many sweaters is a plethora of sweaters.
the_glutton17@reddit
Only dumb Americans. Unfortunately, there's a lot.
EarlyInside45@reddit
No. It only means two.
knysa-amatole@reddit
Yes. If someone says "I'll be there in a couple minutes" and then arrives there three minutes later and you say "That was three minutes, you said a couple," they will probably think you are really annoying, unless maybe it's a situation where one minute genuinely makes a big difference (e.g. if it's the difference between catching a flight and missing it).
padmaclynne@reddit
born early 80s, raised in southern california by kansan and missourian parents, moved to new jersey at age 16, briefly lived in colorado.
if i am speaking about exactly two objects or individuals that either are romantically entwined or i think look cute together, “a couple” means two - but really it means two in a relationship unit.
for everything else, “a couple” is 2-3, usually 2. 4 is “a few” (well, 3-5 is “a few”. 3 can be a large couple, or a small few)
i have heard “coupla-three” as an explicit 2-3, but i’m not sure where that person picked that up
“one”, “a” = 1 “a pair” = 2 “a couple” = 2 (romantic) or 2-3 (mostly 2) “a triad” = 3 (romantic or not) “a few” = 3-5 (mostly 3-4) “some” = 3+ “lots”, “bunches”, “a pile of”, “a heap of” = 10+ but more frequently i think of it as “more than triple the normal amount”
ChannelSame4730@reddit
It’s the same as when you say “give me a minute” you don’t actually mean exactly 1 minute
Edi-Iz@reddit (OP)
Yeah exactly :) it’s more about the idea than the exact number Same with “a second” or “a minute” nobody really means it literally
No_Parsnip6024@reddit
That just ended up diluting "a minute" to be completely meaningless and incapable of conveying information to another person. You might as well just grunt.
I tell people I'll be 5 minutes, or 30 minutes, or whatever amount of time I'll actually be.
The_Law_of_Pizza@reddit
Right - this exception is a colloquial way of exaggerating when the specific number has no importance. It's something said when you are downplaying the amount and basically dismissing it as meaningless.
You're asking for a couple more minutes to do something. Or you only had a couple of beers, you can still walk.
But that's not how it's used in any context where you're conveying numbers, like ordering a couple of hotdogs.
There are some posts above claiming that couple can mean anything from 2 to 7 or some other specific formula, and that seems to be a Reddit factoid.
Half of the comments up thread are just made up weird nonsense.
Edi-Iz@reddit (OP)
Yeah this makes a lot of sense :) I think the key part is whether the number actually matters in the context or not When it’s just casual talk, “a couple” feels flexible, but in situations where the number matters, people are way more precise That probably explains most of the confusion here
DeniLox@reddit
I think that I might say for example, “there were a couple of cops in the area” even if it’s 4. Just because the alliteration sounds better than saying, “a few cops…”
Good_Intention_4255@reddit
My wife, bless her heart,uses similar phrasing to describe an amount of time that has yet to be determined but is probably going to be more than 10 minutes. The other night, that minute was actually 17 minutes.
Edi-Iz@reddit (OP)
Haha that sounds about right :) “a minute” is always a very flexible concept depending on the situation
canthinkof123@reddit
Or just a second usually means closer to a minute.
FreeKevinBrown@reddit
I do. I time it exactly.
its_a_gibibyte@reddit
Agreed. "I'll be there in a couple of minutes" means exactly 120 seconds.
FreeKevinBrown@reddit
Any longer and I'd be an ass hole
PitbullRetriever@reddit
Sometimes I’ll even say “be there in two minutes”, which suggests a level of precision that I absolutely cannot promise
chairmanghost@reddit
And if you want me to give you a minute, you may want the same amount of time as a few seconds
majandess@reddit
This is the only time when I don't literally mean two if I'm not carrying a time-keeping device. Though I mostly don't say a couple minutes.
But if I say a couple pieces of pizza? There are two. A couple people at the store? There are two. A couple trees? Two. A couple chocolates? Two. A couple paragraphs to read? Two.
Lovebeingadad54321@reddit
Me, “give me a minute”
10 year old “1-2-3”
martsimon@reddit
Yes- when referring to something it means two-ish but almost certainly less than 10 unless you're talking alcoholic drinks then it has literally no bounds. "A couple of beers with the boys" can be hundreds of beers. In terms of minutes "a couple" is like 5-20 and "a" minute can be anything from 1 minute to literally decades when used like, "I haven't seen you in a minute!".
Hot_Depth_3367@reddit
Good example!
No_Parsnip6024@reddit
Did we all get dumber in the last few years? This is embarrassing.
A couple means two. Some of you are saying "the number two means some unspecified amount!", and no. A couple is two exactly, a couple is two.
You know how in context of relationships we say couple? That never means a threesome.
Couple, two, pair, are all exactly 2.
Chicago_Avocado@reddit
I share your frustration. “few, couple, & several” are words I absolutely hate. I was in 6th grade before I realized several didn’t mean 7
shanthor55@reddit
No.
Khajiit4lyfe@reddit
it means 2 or 3. Saying a couple for 4 is egregious. 4-6 is a fe. 6-9 is a handful.
BeBe_Shifts@reddit
It more of a "I don't want that much" than a specified number
BrotherNatureNOLA@reddit
When talking about people, it means two. When talking about how many pieces of candy I want you to pass me, it means about 10.
cookerg@reddit
Yes it can be used that way. It's informal or slang, or maybe some subtype of a figure of speech. "You bought a scooter? How'd the hell did you pay for that?" "Hey, it was just a couple of bucks, not a big deal." "Right...a couple hundred, you mean!"
devo52@reddit
It means two. A few means more than two.
HAIKU_4_YOUR_GW_PICS@reddit
More than 1, less than 5, usually 2
IdentityCrisis87@reddit
In the US, a couple is 2, anything 3 or more is a few. Anyone tells you otherwise is making up their own jargon.
ahfuck0101@reddit
When I said hand me a couple screws, I need two. When I say give me a couple of minutes, I don’t know exactly how long it’ll take.
LionLucy@reddit
Not American but I think this is a question for native English speakers generally. “There are a couple of biscuits left” or whatever means “there are two. Well, I think there are about two. There might be three, even four. Sorry if there’s only one, I really think there are two.” It’s a vague term for “roughly two.”
mirth4@reddit
I agree with this (American). It usually implies "If I had to estimate, I'd guess two-ish" but it's non-committal.
In the case of how many minutes late someone might be, the non-committal can do a lot of heavy lifting. There's a reason they didn't specify two, and I'd assume their estimate is a little overly optimistic.
Entropy907@reddit
If my wife is out drinking wine with her friends while I’m dealing with the kids at home, the “I’ll be there in a couple minutes” text means roughly 2.5 hours.
Temporary_Rooster371@reddit
Heaven forbid you spend time with your own children.
Entropy907@reddit
A Redditor being a scold and taking a dumb joke way too seriously? This must be a first!
Temporary_Rooster371@reddit
I did get the joke and I thought it was funny, I just got sidetracked. What got to me was the choice of words that you're "dealing with" your kids. I know kids can be an obnoxious PITA sometimes, but a man saying that he's "dealing with" them perpetuates this stereotype that when a man cares for his own kids, he's just babysitting until the "real" parent comes home. It may not be what you meant, but language matters, and I would just really love for men to be more involved in their families and kids' lives. So.
But the joke was funny!
Cottonjaw@reddit
Its the couple coupling. 2.5 hours = 150 minutes = 75 couples of minutes = 37.5 coupla' couple minutes... and so on and so forth, in a sort of "wizard arrives precisely when they mean to" sort of way.
Freedum4Murika@reddit
Explaining Girl Math, let alone Wife Time… advanced metrics
Cottonjaw@reddit
14 years of marital bliss and counting lol
Loisgrand6@reddit
There, there
amazingtaters@reddit
You can say it in Chicagoan as "a couple two tree" to really emphasize the non-committal nature of a couple.
wolferiver@reddit
Same for Wisconsinites.
battlesong1972@reddit
Also here in northeast PA
HeloiseStDenis@reddit
My dad used to say this! Thank you for the reminder of that saying friend! 🤭
loftychicago@reddit
I was going to post this. Classic.
Edi-Iz@reddit (OP)
Haha “a couple two tree” is perfect :) it somehow makes it even less specific and more accurate at the same time
RobertBigelow@reddit
And when you’re referring to beers a “couple two tree” means 6 to 8.
fueelin@reddit
Yeah. "A couple minutes" is, always and by far, the least accurate "couple" use you'll encounter!
EmperorGeek@reddit
This is where I start to use “a few”.
Edi-Iz@reddit (OP)
Yeah same here :) once it goes past two, “a few” just feels more natural and less confusing
LionLucy@reddit
I think “a few” implies “probably more than two”
shiruduck@reddit
A few means at least 3
EmperorGeek@reddit
Correct. A Couple or A Pair is 2, up to 7 or 8 is A Few.
Mitth-raw-nuruodo50@reddit
And after a few it’s a bunch.
Aspen9999@reddit
Nope, then it’s there are several leftover, after several is a bunch.
EmperorGeek@reddit
I’ve always wondered where the boundary for “some” is.
FeelingPlayfulNow@reddit
I view "some" as four-ish of an item that started with a good bit more. Some means less than half are left, but there are more than a few items. You could share "some" with a couple of people.
Several means there's still a lot of whatever is there. You could pass it out to multiple friends without fighting over who gets some and who doesn't. It's not the full starting amount, but there's plenty to go around.
Aspen9999@reddit
I think several is 4 to 5, a bunch is more than 5, more than 10 is a slew.
YourGuyK@reddit
You skipped "a dozen or so."
MasterofMystery@reddit
Gotta remember the “couple few” where it’s PROBABLY 3-5, but could be two and could be 6-10.
RichardAboutTown@reddit
Probably, yes. It could be two, but more like three or four.
TheyMakeMeWearPants@reddit
Kinda similar, if someone says "I'll be there in a minute", they frequently do not mean exactly one minute. It's really another way of saying "soon".
DeniLox@reddit
Hold on a second.
TheyMakeMeWearPants@reddit
Just the one.
Outrageous-Pin-4664@reddit
When the amount matters and I'm not pretty sure it's going to be 2, I would always prefer to give myself the leeway of saying "a few." I'm a stickler for couple=2.
daylax1@reddit
We also use it when our wives ask us how many beers we had and the actual number is definitely over two.
Example: "How many beers did you drink at the golf course with your friends?"
"Uhhhh, a couple 🥴"
vermiciouswangdoodle@reddit
Not to be confused with " several " which is definitely probably most likely more than two. Might even be more than three, four or up to five. But nothing crazy like six. Above six would be a bunch or maybe even a lot. Whew...this is exhausting...OP when in doubt just "some"...as in there are some biscuits left.
Tacticus1@reddit
In one very specific context “several” actually means “seven” (if you are playing the reality show Survivor and are an idiot).
penelope-taynt@reddit
Jelinsky is truly legendary for this
syntheticassault@reddit
Several beers can definitely be 6. But Several wives is probably not.
Edi-Iz@reddit (OP)
Several beers” can absolutely stretch depending on the person, but “several wives” definitely feels like it stays in the strict “a few” category no matter how you slice it :)
Mr_BillyB@reddit
Yeah, this is important. How we use these terms depends a LOT on what we're using them to describe and our personal relationships with those things.
Edi-Iz@reddit (OP)
Haha this breakdown is actually hilarious :) English really said “let’s have 5 different ways to say a vague number” and just went with it. “Some” is probably the safest option at this point :)
Pezdrake@reddit
If you tell there are some biscuits left and there are only two biscuits left I will be very upset.
Mediocre_Daikon6935@reddit
A couple 2. A few 3 to 5. Several > 5 < a dozen.
Moto302@reddit
If you were ordering pints and asked the bartender, " can I get a couple of pints?" you would get 2. If you're asking your friends "are you up for a couple of pints?" it could be 10.
Edi-Iz@reddit (OP)
Haha yeah that’s actually a perfect explanation :) It’s like “around two, but don’t hold me to it” just a soft, approximate number rather than something exact
Meatgortex@reddit
Yep, a couple in practical speech is ~2 not 2.
ChannelSame4730@reddit
Yes, it means two-ish. If you knew there were exactly 2, you'd just say "two" because "two" is quicker to say than "a couple"
Mediocre_Daikon6935@reddit
The British never miss an opportunity to butcher the English language.
No. A couple mean there are two cookies left.
Any more then that are a few.
FalseBuddha@reddit
Because the hillfolk from the Appalachians are renowned for being well spoken lmao
Mediocre_Daikon6935@reddit
Ah. The classic anti-rural, anti-Gaelic racism.
But yes, we are. A simple study of etymology of English, and our pronunciations tend to be far more proper, and historical, with less linguistic drift. It does however, tend to follow the Scottish/scots Irish usage.
In Pennsylvania it tended to go so far as to retain the Germanic syntax of a bygone age, although sadly modern education as ruthlessly stamped it out.
TheRealThordic@reddit
As an Irish-American from the Northeast, no one in America in the past century associates Appalachia with Gaelic peoples. You can keep telling yourself that but any stereotypes or disparaging comments are because of the hillbillies, which are most definitely seen as fully American at this point. Loads of the eastern states were populated by Irish settlers.
Mediocre_Daikon6935@reddit
You’re a Yankee. You abandoned your heritage a long time ago.
We did not.
TheRealThordic@reddit
🤡
FalseBuddha@reddit
Yeah, well the mush-mouthed rednecks down around Knoxville sure don't speak "proper".
Also, this idea that because it's "historical" with "less linguistic drift" makes it somehow superior is ridiculous. Languages are living. They change with use. Only the most uptight, douchey pedant would think that "old" means "correct".
Slow_Concern_672@reddit
I mean even your use is a bastardization of the actual word, which means two things that are coupled together. But why is your butchering right and somebody else is wrong? It didn't mean to until like the 13th or 14th century.
laserdollars420@reddit
Nah dude we're absolutely just as guilty of this one as the British. Get off your high horse.
norecordofwrong@reddit
Yup as an American this tracks.
It’s supposed to be two but it has a probability distribution that cuts off around 4.
cranberry_spike@reddit
This is it!
oswin13@reddit
This is it.
samanime@reddit
This is a perfect way to explain it. "Roughly two". Not definitely exactly two, I'd just say "two". There are about two though.
Sad_Highlight_9059@reddit
Agreed, a couple is 2, unless it is being used in an estimate in which case, as this person mentions, it would be better understood as "approx. 2".
ABelleWriter@reddit
Phenomenal explanation.
Shoddy-Secretary-712@reddit
This is the way. A couple is generally speaking, two, but there is room for interpretation.
Outside_Narwhal3784@reddit
Yeah pretty much how we use it too.
GoatGoatPowerRangers@reddit
This is the best explanation of it.
ProbablyAPotato1939@reddit
You are correct, it has the same meaning in the US basically something like, "About 2, but I'm not sure."
DefinitelyNotEmu@reddit
A couple is defined as two similar items, people, or things, or a small, indefinite number (often two to four)
3mptyspaces@reddit
I use couple for two, and a few for more than two.
Requilem@reddit
The same thing happens with a moment in American English. A moment is actually an exact amount of time, 2.5 minutes, but it is used as a general term now meaning an unspecified time in the near future.
SirGeremiah@reddit
The “a couple of minutes” is as imprecise in usage as “just a minute”. It’s not that it can mean more than 2 here, but that we use it for scale rather than an actual count.
The same is often true if someone says something like “I’m having a couple of friends over”.
Personally, I use “a couple” to mean “two”. I think most people mostly do this, except where (as noted above) it’s used for scale rather than
sgtm7@reddit
If I say a "couple", I am only referring to two. If it is more than two, then I would use "a few".
BeeinCV@reddit
When I say a couple I mean two, more than two is a few.
If I say you can have a couple of cookies you better not be taking more than two! 🍪🍪🚫🍪🍪🍪
Minute-Passenger7359@reddit
I’m American and it actually bothers me.
Playful_Question538@reddit
A couple is always 2. A few is 3 or 4. More than that is a handful.
Usual_Maybe6216@reddit
A couple always means too. I would say a few if I meant three or four. A couple of minutes might be over two minutes though, but “I’ll be there in a minute” also might be over a minute.
Edi-Iz@reddit (OP)
Yeah, that’s a pretty common way to keep it consistent In practice though, people do get a bit flexible with time expressions like “a couple of minutes” or “in a minute” usually just means “soon,” not a strict count. So even if the base meanings are clear, context still stretches them a bit.
WowsrsBowsrsTrousrs@reddit
Everyone knows that when your boss says "Can you finish this today? It will only take you a couple of minutes," that means it will take somewhere between half an hour and the entire day.
pmgoldenretrievers@reddit
This entire thread shows that is false. Language is a living thing. I would never say “a couple” when I mean two. I would say two. For me and literally everyone I know a couple means 3-9
Usual_Maybe6216@reddit
Were your parents a couple?
Gecko23@reddit
I remember being explicitly taught this very concept as a child. Midwestern, rural US if it matters.
Boom_Gate_Lady@reddit
What if I say I'll be their in two shakes of a Lamb's tail?
Usual_Maybe6216@reddit
If you’re the one saying it then you should know. But if I said it I’d be there with haste
Ok_Gas5386@reddit
THANK YOU A SANE HUMAN BEING IN THIS THREAD!!!!
RealGrade2787@reddit
a couple = 2. a couple minutes = 2 to 7 minutes
VoodooDuck614@reddit
A couple is 2, a few is 3-4, a handful is 5.
deez_nuts_77@reddit
no. a couple means two.
SmilingHappyLaughing@reddit
Yes.
afterlaura@reddit
A couple is 2 and a few is 3 4 or 5
Traveling-Techie@reddit
Yes.
Additional_Gate3629@reddit
It means two except when people say they'll "be there in a couple of minutes".
I get that's confusing but it's more an expression saying they'll try to be fast and be there as quickly as possible.
botulizard@reddit
Yeah. Maybe it's not technically correct, but "a couple" and "a few" are basically synonymous and mean "some, probably less than ten".
Bottdavid@reddit
Depends to me on the situation. If we are talking about something you want to be exact on then yeah cooking a couple eggs is 2.
But to your example as couple minutes could be anything.
permalink_child@reddit
With respect to dating, “a couple” is two.
With respect to the number of beers consumed, “a couple” is between two and ten.
bugzzzz@reddit
"a couple two tree" has the same meaning in regard to beer in the Chicago dialect
tiger0204@reddit
My first thought was that anyone who says they've had a couple of beers has definitely polished off a six pack.
pmgoldenretrievers@reddit
From what I’ve seen on police body cams 1 or 2 beers means 6 to 12.
16BitGenocide@reddit
but at the same time, 'we only had a few beers' means two or less.
Edi-Iz@reddit (OP)
Yeah, that’s pretty accurate :) context really changes how people use it. With drinks especially, “a couple” is definitely more flexible than when you’re talking about people.
QueenJamieMaePalmer@reddit
A couple for two three for a few
bigoldgeek@reddit
On Chicago, it's a couple, two t'ree.
Elegant-Ad5705@reddit
One: 1
A couple: 2-3
A few: 4-5
Several: 6-9
A lot: 10+
Hairy_Cattle_1734@reddit
Not this American. When I say “a couple”, I mean two. Three or more is “a few”, although I’d be hard pressed to quantify when “a few” becomes “several”.
MizzGee@reddit
My son, as a child, taught me, when handing me candy or treats, that a couple is 2, a few is three, some is four a lot is five it it is really good and a lot can be unlimited if it doesn't taste good.
anotherdamnscorpio@reddit
Can mean two, but sometimes means a few.
logaboga@reddit
there’s a weird divide. I’d say 1/2 of people use it colloquially to mean a few (a small number but more than 2), and 1/2 of people use it to mean exactly 2.
AvonMustang@reddit
I think it's kinda evolved to mean about two but maybe not exactly. I try to say a "few" if it's not exactly two but know others day.
ElijahNSRose@reddit
How much it refers to depends what it is. A couple of bucks simply refers to however many one dollar bills are in your pocket.
billygoat_graf@reddit
I use "a couple" and "few" interchangeably
Weary-Passion5346@reddit
A couple always means two, but people don't always mean what they say.
eileen404@reddit
Yup. A couple is a few which is usually 2-4. More is some.
RoRedOriginal@reddit
A couple, two, tree in the Midwest
BittterQuittter@reddit
I'm American and I usually use it for 2 or 3. 4 is not a couple of something.
BreadStoreRefugee@reddit
A couple of... = Two-ish +/-.
EmploymentEmpty5871@reddit
A couple is 2, a few is 3, a couple 2 3 is kind of crap shoot.
CeruLucifus@reddit
Well, it depends on intent.
As an adjective with specific intent, it means two. "Give me a couple bacon strips with my eggs".
In colloquial conversation, it means a small plural amount: "A couple cars passed by."
With devious or evasive intent it is a deliberate understatement meant to obscure the actual amount: "So we went out for a couple drinks, so what?"
CaptainPunisher@reddit
I'm having a couple beers. I'm not having a pair of beers.
While the literal meaning of couple is 2, it's used loosely for "not many".
CalamityKid_@reddit
I've always said a couple is 2, like a couple would be 2 people together. A few is 3 or 4. A handful is 5, because 5 fingers in a hand.
Maddad_666@reddit
“Let’s have a couple of beers.”
Turns into drunken debotchery.
draaz_melon@reddit
I do not, and I find people who do to be ridiculous. I chalk it up to a failed education system.
MikeOxmaul@reddit
A couple means two to me. Three or more would be a few.
t_newt1@reddit
Cop pulls over a suspected drunk driver and asks him:
"Have you had anything to drink today?"
"I've had a couple of beers."
What the suspect means: "I've had two beers."
What the cop thinks: "You remember the first beer, when you were sober, and you remember the last beer, before you left the bar."
pmgoldenretrievers@reddit
Meanwhile the suspect did in fact have 12.
MessoGesso@reddit
Yes, if you ask for a couple of m&ms I would give you more than 2 but less than half the bag.
ghjm@reddit
Everyone would agree that strictly speaking, "a couple" is supposed to means two. But if you say "a couple minutes" you are intentionally being a bit vague. You didn't commit to it taking exactly two minutes to the second. It's a quantity of minutes in the general vicinity of two.
A pair, on the other hand, is always exactly two. But it would be weird to say "a pair of minutes."
Then we have the various quantities that can be described as a few, a scattering, a handful, several, some, a bunch, quite a few, many, plenty, etc. None of these have exact definitions and in every case they are relative to whatever the normal amount is of the thing in question. A hundred ants in a stadium is only a few, but a hundred helicopters in a stadium is a preponderance.
LowCress9866@reddit
"A pair, on the other hand, is always exactly two"
Unless you're talking about pants
Agua_Frecuentemente@reddit
Or scissors. Or glasses.
clearliquidclearjar@reddit
All of which started out as two things paired together.
pmgoldenretrievers@reddit
The world breathed a sigh of relief when someone decided to sew one pant to the other. Until then everyone walked around with only one leg clothed.
sapphicsandwich@reddit
Hmm, now I am curious as to the difference between a "pant" and a (non-assless) "chap."
clearliquidclearjar@reddit
Chaps are two leg coverings joined at the waist, meant to protect someone's legs. Assless is moot - there's never a seat involved, it's just the leg coverings.
I think modern pants basically started as a pair of hose, sewed together at the top with a crotch and waistband added.
snoweel@reddit
I wonder if that is a reference to the death of Henry I in 1135, caused by "a surfeit of lampreys".
Edi-Iz@reddit (OP)
Could be, yeah :) that phrase definitely sounds like it’s playing in that medieval “overindulgence” storytelling style. Either way, it’s a nice way to show how language leaves things deliberately vague but still very vivid.
ghjm@reddit
Interesting. Could well be.
Edi-Iz@reddit (OP)
Yeah, exactly it’s really about context more than strict numbers. “A couple” just means roughly two-ish in casual speech, while “pair” is strictly two. And all the others like “a few” or “several” are just flexible estimates depending on what you’re talking about.
tardytimetraveler@reddit
Whereas “a couple few” can mean either “2-4” or “several units of a few”
Boom_Gate_Lady@reddit
Yes, but how many were going to St Ives?
front_torch@reddit
Couple = 2 Few = 3/4 Some equals more
A lot of the citizens of my rotting country are severely uneducated. They don't think definitions mean anything anymore.
womenslasers84@reddit
“A couple, two, three” is phrase I grew up hearing often near Chicago. Three would be pronounced “tree.”
IntentionAromatic523@reddit
To me a couple means 2 and a few means 3.
Emily_Postal@reddit
Couple does mean two. Few is 3-9. But people in the US may use couple to refer to more than 2.
CaptainSwift11@reddit
Depends on context, when referring to people in a relationship, a couple is always two. When referring to objects, a couple is at least 2, and less than about 6ish.
But when referring to time, I would expect a wider range. If someone said they would be here in a couple minutes I would expect more like 3-10, maybe 15 depending.
pixievixie@reddit
A couple generally means 2 but if someone is feeling generous maybe more. Like if you ask for a couple of pieces of candy and someone gives you 3 or 4 or a little handful, nobody is gonna be mad. If you go to the doctor and they say you need a couple of vaccines and come out with a tray with a fistful of syringes, you’ll be a bit more irritated that they weren’t more specific. Likewise if the dentist says a couple of cavities and then numbs your entire head, well….
VirtualMatter2@reddit
A couple : two
A couple of: a low number between 2 and 6.
Party-Ad-5036@reddit
I think going to 6 is too much, there are other words that can be used. I think this is appropriate: couple - 2 to 3; few- 3 to 4, several - 5 to 8, a bunch - more than 8
JaysonTatecum@reddit
I mean maybe it’s just me but “gimme a couple minutes” could take 15. It’s only once it gets to like 30 that I’d go “sorry that took longer than I thought”
Assuming it wasn’t something super time sensitive
Party-Ad-5036@reddit
I guess it’s also dependent on what you’re talking about. If you said give me a couple of minutes and it was five minutes probably reasonable, but if I said get me a couple of cookies and you brought back 5 that’s way more than I would’ve expected.
justaclumsyweirdo@reddit
I’m not sure I’d be so strict. For me, “a few” is shifted further higher upwards, but overlaps with “a couple”. Totally making up these numbers, but roughly speaking the difference is that if I hear “a couple” I’d take that to mean something like:
Whereas with “a few”, I’m mentally picturing something more like:
hatemelovemeidk@reddit
But that makes no sense.
Couple is defined as two. So why does “a couple” change that?
If I define Bob and Mary as a couple, can I also define Bob and Mary and Frank and Donna and Michelle as a couple?
VirtualMatter2@reddit
The "of" changes it. It turns it from a noun into a phrase with a different meaning.
Wallawalla1522@reddit
A couple of: any real number divisible by 2
ninja_9@reddit
A "cuppulla" = 2 or more but probably less than 10.
WabbitFire@reddit
Coupla two tree
foxsable@reddit
A Coppola = one member of a famous Italian filmmaker family
eggheadjc@reddit
This is correct, especially for beers.
TheLost_Chef@reddit
“Had a couple drinks… saw a couple things…”
Saigaface@reddit
Thank you this is pretty much the only definition I’ve ever considered and I was shocked to have to look for it here.
permalink_child@reddit
2 and 7
Maleficent_Sea547@reddit
Some people do even in my own family. I tell them that makes no sense.
Illustrious_Dirt5053@reddit
If someone is on a diet, and they're talking about food - "a couple" is at least 4.
RoppFTW@reddit
You shouldn't expect any number. If they were going to give you a precise number, they would say the number.
ElephantCares@reddit
I only use a couple to mean two.
realityinflux@reddit
I think it always means two. If someone says "I'll be back in a couple minutes" that's really not trying to count the minutes--it just means they'll be back in a jiffy. Like, "Hang on--I'll be back in just a minute." But if someone says, "There's a couple of people outside who want to talk to you," that means there are two people out there. If there are, say, five people, then whoever said "couple" is just wrong. Or lying.
Jorgedig@reddit
If you’re an old, you say “a couple three.”
“Hey Bob, whaddya say we go hit a couple three baskets down at the driving range, and then hit up Old Man Jenkins tavern for a couple three Schlitz lites.”
TravelinTrojan@reddit
“I’m going have a couple of beers.” Hahaha
Responsible-Chest-26@reddit
It means 2. If someone uses it for more than 2 they are lazy or dumb
Scurvy_Pete@reddit
My arbitrary standards are:
-Couple= 2-4 -A few= 5-9 -Several= 10+
mrm5117@reddit
I think in certain religious sects in Utah they do, yeah.
PeanutAggressive2235@reddit
I use the word “couple” for things between 2-1000000.
GarbanzoBenne@reddit
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/couple
Definition 4: an indefinite small number : FEW
dobie_dobes@reddit
Usually yes. Only two or something that would most likely be two. A few is usually three.
EastCoastAlley@reddit
Phil Leotardo
khampang@reddit
A couple means 2, a few means more than a couple but not a lot. Maybe up to 5. At that point you have to go to half a dozen. Then you can do half a dozen “or so” to cover up to 9. Because after that you need to be more specific. “10 or 11”. “A dozen”. Then it’s just “more than a dozen” or a “s—- load”
Really at the 8+ mark you need real numbers if you’re doing anything because it’ll mean planning. Seats at the table, number of cars etc.
But couple should be a hard 2
Erin_TacoQueen@reddit
Omg I fight with my wife about this all the time. She uses it for EXACTLY two. As in, hey did you eat all the m&m’s? And she will say, no I left you a couple. And there will be two sad little m&m’s waiting there.
Leather-Sky8583@reddit
I normally see “A Couple” as 2, “a few” as 3, and several to be 4.
ilikeshtuff@reddit
I use it similarly to “a few”, for more than just 2, but no matter the context, I tend toward using “a few” probably because it’s fewer syllables. If there are 2 I’m going to say “there are two”
GorgeousUnknown@reddit
Technically two, but can stretch from time to time.
HoselRockit@reddit
If you are talking about people, it usually means two people who are together. If you are talking about items, it is synonymous with few.
TemperMe@reddit
No… I’d someone says a couple I take it to mean two. A few is relative to them thing in question buts it’s generally 3-9
Able_Hunter_7966@reddit
Nope
Muted-Solution-6793@reddit
90% 2, 10% 2+
wilkinsk@reddit
The phrase has become equal to saying, "a handful".
An unspecified, small amount. Usually smaller than 5
Distinct_Chair3047@reddit
Yes. But it's regional dependant.
Back home, a couple means 2-3.
We're i am now, it means exactly two.
I now use "a couple" on purpose to annoy everyone around me. Their anger feeds me.
DarwinGhoti@reddit
A couple means two, a few means more than two but less than a bunch
TheMuffler42069@reddit
It means two.
Satsuki7104@reddit
Couple is 2 few is 3-4.
trustmebro5@reddit
There are actually a few languages where the equivalent of “couple” or “two” casually means “a few”.
Candleforce-9728@reddit
Nobody who says wait a couple minutes means “please wait exactly two minutes.”. It just means a little while in that context.
Tight_Ad_7521@reddit
I couple is used when you want to be intentionally vague about something that is a small number, but probably higher/bigger/more than you would ideally want it to be.
"How much longer till you get here?" "Oh, just a couple minutes"
"How much over the speed limit where you going?" "Oh, just a couple miles an hour
"How many of Aunt Leslie's crab cakes did you eat at the family reunion? There were only a dozen made and there are 20 people here, so you already need to be conservative in the amount you grab. We've had this discussion before at the last family outing" "Oh, just a couple".
We all know a couple means two but we collectively pretend we don't.
Tx2PNW2Tx@reddit
A couple means two. A few is 3 or more
sultrie@reddit
A couple is 2. several is 3 or more.
Patrizio_Argento@reddit
It always means 2 except when talking about time.
Early-Afternoon124@reddit
Two, or loosely a few. Like, around two or three, or maybe four if we're feeling adventurous
Ok-Entertainment5045@reddit
Couple means 2, few means three to four, half dozen is six.
LordFluffyPotato@reddit
It’s used for more than two when someone is trying to down play the number and doesn’t want to say a more accurate amount because it will like have some negative connotation.
Example: Can I have a couple of your fries.
This never means exactly two, it always means more. But they don’t want to ask if they can eat half or all of your fries because that sounds greedy.
Mammoth_Dream_2434@reddit
I'll be there in a couple of minutes, means chill out dude, I said I would be there.
Engelgrafik@reddit
I'm American and in my 50s
I can tell you that I used to use the word "couple" to mean 2 but sometimes also 3 or 4.
People got upset after assuming I really only meant 2.
Now I use couple to mean "2" and SEVERAL to mean more than 2.
AshtonCopernicus@reddit
We sometimes say "a handful" as well when there's more than a "a few." It gets confusing when people aren't concise lol
Lilylake_55@reddit
I’m an American, and apparently more and more people think it means more than two at all times. Maybe it’s because I’m older (71), but when I say “a couple,” I mean two. Just two. I was at Jack in the Box recently and, at the end of my order, I said “and I’d like a couple of your sugar cookies.” I was startled when the young person taking my order answered “and how many would you like?” And she seemed puzzled when I told her “two. A couple is two.” 🙄
Valk_Storm@reddit
This is debatable even amongst Americans. I've always used a couple as two, and only two. A couple for example when talking about human relationships always means two people. My fiancé though, prior to meeting me, has been a staunch supporter of a couple meaning two to some indeterminate number, maybe 3 or 4. I have since corrected her. ;)
breebop83@reddit
Usually I mean 2 when I say a couple. If I’m unsure I may say ‘a couple 3 or 4’. If it’s more than 4 it’s a few or a handful.
JW1958@reddit
Yesterday I heard someone use the word "throuple". I think they were addressing a couple plus one, maybe an odd relationship.
clearliquidclearjar@reddit
A throuple is a romantic relationship of three people who are all involved with each other.
hatemelovemeidk@reddit
But according to some people here, that’s silly.
A couple apparently encompasses anything up to 5, so throuple is redundant.
clearliquidclearjar@reddit
"A couple of" in the sense of a general number and "a couple" in a romantic sense are two different things.
"I had a couple of chips" - could be any number. "I'll be there in a couple of minutes" - could be anything from a minute to an hour. "They are a couple" - they are two people in a romantic relationship. "They are a thouple" - a slang way to say those three people are in a romantic relationship together.
Context matters! Hope this helps.
Ok_Classic_1968@reddit
My understanding was always a couple is 2, a few is 3 or more
Tron_35@reddit
It means just a few, no exact number, unless we are talking about a romantic pair of people, in romance terms a couple is 2 people.
hatemelovemeidk@reddit
Why?
SavannahInChicago@reddit
As a kid I decided the following:
Couple - 2
Few 3-5
Several 6+
You are welcome.
Harp_167@reddit
To me, a few is 2-3, a couple is 3-5
hatemelovemeidk@reddit
How?
lime007@reddit
American here. For me:
couple = 2. few = 3
several = 4
danbyer@reddit
“I drank a couple of beers last night.” I want to imply two, but it was actually six.
hatemelovemeidk@reddit
But then you are just lying.
Diligent_Digiridoo@reddit
I’ve lived in America my entire life and to me “a couple” is always exactly 2. “A few” would mean more than 2.
This is news to me
meruu_meruu@reddit
I'm picky about "a couple" and I get in fights with my husband about it lol.
If you said "pick up a couple of [item] on your way home" I would bring you two. If you told me "there are only a couple [item] left" I would assume there are two left and plan accordingly.
If you told me "I'll be there in a couple minutes" I wouldn't expect you to arrive in exactly two minutes. I don't personally use "a couple minutes" I say "a few", but I understand people don't mean two minutes.
Admittedly though, if someone asked me to bring them "a few" of something I would beg for clarification, unless it's something small like...candies, and then you're getting a handful lol.
jakerooni@reddit
Not usually unless they don’t realize it’s incorrect.
retreff@reddit
The different usages of “couple” is not unique to American English: From a favorite a Irish folk song
There was Johnny Mceldoo and McGee and Me And a couple of two or three went on the spree one day.
Blueman9966@reddit
Depending on the context, it can mean exactly two or somewhere in the 2-5 range. Personally, I've always seen "a couple" as 2-4, and anything beyond that as "several". If somebody is strictly referring to two of something, they'll generally say "two" or "a pair of", unless they're talking about a romantic couple.
MRSRN65@reddit
Technically, a couple means two. Several means more than two. But not everyone sticks to their strict definition.
Aquarius_K@reddit
Weird, just saw this question from a French new Yorker
sfdsquid@reddit
I only use it for 2.
3 is a few.
DecaturIsland@reddit
My husband says “couple” and it could mean anything. I’ll get done in a couple days, especially, could mean at least a few but maybe never. It’s a way of avoiding reality or means “I have no idea.”
Ozone220@reddit
yup. Depends on the person, but I do
LordofDD93@reddit
In terms of items, I’d say a couple is basically anything less than 5. A couple of beers, a couple of oranges at the store, a couple pieces of candy, a couple batteries, etc. Things where the amount is small and can be counted on one hand. If I were to hang out with a couple friends, four other people would be okay. I could also use “a few” which is basically 4 or more, and in the word hierarchy, ‘a few’ means AT LEAST a ‘couple’ but could be more.
An exception may be made however - sometimes we might use it as parlance to mean a small amount more than 4. For instance, if I and my friend were driving to a concert somewhere and all I asked for was a couple bucks for gas, and the total amount of money spent was $30 for fuel, it would be nice if they chipped in about $10. It’s not fully half the cost, but if they’re my friend I wouldn’t be as put out since they’re at least providing something. If they gave me only $3, I might feel more taken advantage of, unless they were contributing elsewhere such as the concert’s tickets.
However, if referring to time, I’d say a couple more accurate refers to two, and no more than 3. If I say something should only takes me a couple minutes and it takes fifteen or more, something has gone wrong. If I say I’m going to stay with a friend for a couple days and it’s a week, the plan has apparently changed.
Affectionate_Love229@reddit
If I gave my wife 2 m&m's when she asked me for a couple, she would beat the brakes off me.
PracticalApartment99@reddit
A couple is two, period. Anyone who uses it for a different number is simply wrong.
ObjectiveElefant@reddit
It means 2. Sometimes people use it improperly. A few means around 3-5 and several means 5+ (maybe 5-9 or 10). All of these are used improperly I’m sure and I think often people will say “what do you mean by a few?”, if they need specifics. I think couple is more often used properly because it objectively mean 2, no more, no less b
USBombs83@reddit
American here: Some people do. I get mad at them.
Proof-Ad3637@reddit
I think only if they want to downplay something
Diesel-the-merciful@reddit
Yes
bomber991@reddit
I do all the time but sometimes I’ll be correct by someone saying “a couple is only two”.
flopjobbit@reddit
Grab a couple of beers means at least two, up to four or five.
Grab a couple of books for the trip...bring 2-3.
I have a couple of ideas...2-3
SaavikSaid@reddit
I never do. It’s two. Three is “a few” and any more is “several,” “a handful,” “a bunch,” or “many” depending on how many.
genericusername379@reddit
If i ask for "a couple m&ms" or anything small like that, im going to be pretty disappointed to get only 2.
Thin_Cable4155@reddit
My thought is, if someone wants two, they should just say two. It's not like saying, "a couple" is like shorthand or easier to say. When someone asks for a couple, they would be satisfied with two, but more would be better... Just like real couples...
Edi-Iz@reddit (OP)
Yeah I get what you mean :) if you want to be precise, “two” is always clearer.But I think people use “a couple” more as a soft, informal way of saying “a small number” rather than being exact. And yeah, your analogy is kind of funny too—real “couples” are definitely expected to be just two :)
donuttrackme@reddit
I can mean two on the dot, or it can mean around two. Just depends on the person and the situation. But if couple only means two in your language then yes, Americans use couple to mean around two much of the time.
Edi-Iz@reddit (OP)
Yeah, that’s basically it It can mean exactly two, or just “around two” depending on the person and context. That’s why it feels a bit inconsistent sometimes people use it more loosely in everyday speech.
Intrepid_Art_6628@reddit
Where I grew up a couple means 2 and “a couple three” means 3-5. I always thought it should mean 6 but maybe I’m the one being ridiculous
uncouthulu_@reddit
Yes, some Americans do. Those are "salt of the earth" people as mentioned in Blazing Saddles.
You know...idiots.
CuppaJoe11@reddit
Yeah. Some people are really hardcore on the "a couple means 2" but a lot of people (me included) just use it as a general term for "a small amount of something"
appleparkfive@reddit
Yeah exactly. Most people know that a couple is supposed to mean 2, and a few means 3 or more (or just 3-4 to some). But in practice, it got inflated along the way
Edi-Iz@reddit (OP)
Yeah, exactly :) most people still think of “a couple” as 2 and “a few” as 3+, but in real conversations it kind of drifts depending on context and how precise you need to be.
SCorpus89801@reddit
I tend to disagree. Some people know that words can have more than one meaning. A couple only necessarily means two when it's things that "couple," but it also can used synonymously with few.
I had this argument in middle school in the 90s.
When people ask what words mean I usually direct them to the dictionary and explain that we live in a barely literate society where many people use them incorrectly.
phoenixrawr@reddit
Dictionaries are generally meant to be descriptive rather than prescriptive, so if most people use a word differently than its dictionary definition then the dictionary is arguably just wrong.
SCorpus89801@reddit
Good point.
Like when literally started to not mean literally and then the dictionary added both definitions. Of course, I'm too old to start using it the new way so I'm not going to. :)
IzzybearThebestdog@reddit
I feel like when this has gotten asked in the past everyone is on team “couple = exactly 2” but no one uses it like that. It can mean any small amount of something. More than 1 and less than 7 or 8
ten-toed-tuba@reddit
Agreed. A couple of minutes, a couple of grapes - a small amount.
Joe and Sam are a couple - two people romantically together.
Totodile386@reddit
Subjectively, it's possible, but most people tend to avoid saying "a couple" in that case.
Edi-Iz@reddit (OP)
Yeah, context really changes it. That’s one of those things you only really pick up over time from real conversations and examples, because the meaning can shift a bit depending on how and where it’s used. Tutor Skye actually does a good job with these kinds of nuances.
Constellation-88@reddit
I personally do not. A couple is too and a few 3 to 5-ish
Edi-Iz@reddit (OP)
That’s similar to how I understood it too. I actually started noticing these small context differences more while practicing English with tools like Tutor Skye it helps a lot with real-life usage like this.
TheShoot141@reddit
Anywhere from 2-5. If you mean it as exactly 2 why not say 2. Thats less syllables than “a couple”.
Icey-Emotion@reddit
It depends more on the person than the region.
Some people are very specific that a couple means 2. More than that is "a few". More than that is "later"
Edi-Iz@reddit (OP)
True, context matters a lot. I actually learned this kind of nuance while practicing English through Tutor Skye it helps a lot with real-life usage like this.
Suitable-Elk-540@reddit
In most contexts, you can think of "couple" as meaning "probably two" or "approximately two". So, it really means a very small few.
But there are contexts where couple means exactly two: "they make a nice couple" (the couple almost isn't a quantity here, but a whole thing in itself).
Edi-Iz@reddit (OP)
That’s a good explanation, this is exactly the kind of thing I’ve seen explained in language learning apps like Tutor Skye where they focus on context-based meaning
RichardAboutTown@reddit
In my usage "a couple" is not an exact number, it's an estimate. It overlaps with "a few" but "several" is definitely more than "a couple."
Edi-Iz@reddit (OP)
100% agree context changes everything. I’ve noticed this a lot while practicing speaking I’ve been using Tutor Skye, where you start picking up how flexible these expressions actually are in real conversations.
ShakeWeightMyDick@reddit
Some do, yes
Blahkbustuh@reddit
I'm from the Midwest and use "a couple" like "a few", to mean something like "a small handful". It wasn't until I was at my first job after college I said it and someone looked me straight in the eyes and tell me I was wrong and that "a couple is exactly two and only two".
I disagree! If I wanted to say "two" of something, I'd just say "two". It's a shorter word. Even the word "pair" is shorter and "pair" makes sense for things that are matched or go together.
Obviously if it's literal "couples" like two people in a relationship, then that's exactly what a couple is, but it doesn't make sense to me to apply that same logic to objects or numbers of things.
"There are couples sitting at that table" = I expect to see an even number of people, probably half men and half women and they're all dating or married. Great.
"A couple of days..." --so you're saying Thursday and Friday are dating now or match each other better than other pairs of days? This doesn't make sense.
"I have a couple of things for you to do" --just say 2 if it's exactly two.
"I have a couple of socks" = socks come in pairs, so "a couple" of socks is a quantity that is different.
Edi-Iz@reddit (OP)
That’s interesting I’ve noticed the same thing while learning English. A lot of these nuances didn’t really click from definitions, but from actually speaking and hearing how people use them in real conversations. I’ve been doing a lot of speaking practice with Tutor Skye, and stuff like this becomes way clearer when you hear it used naturally instead of just reading about it
Key_Contribution1547@reddit
Been two forever
gotellmeagain@reddit
Where I was racing, the United States, a couple always means only two. I’ve never ever heard it to mean more than two.
Nottacod@reddit
No, or at least they shouldn't.
lovemesomezombie@reddit
As an American , I have never used "a couple" to refer to anything more than 2. Same with "a pair". More than 2 is a few, now figuring out what a few is vs a bunch... ?
YogurtclosetWrong268@reddit
It depends on the context. A couple days ago could be a week. A couple beers could be 5-6. A couple slices of pizza means 2.
My uncle used to say "a couple-three" if he meant a few.
Miserable-Election25@reddit
I know this isn't universal by any means but I personally insist on it meaning two and a few meaning three or more. Someone's gotta be pedantic or else words stop meaning things
riovtafv@reddit
Search up Matt Mitchell and Southern Math on YouTube.
It'll go over couple, few, some, and other things related to Math in the Southern US.
thegamerdoggo@reddit
It’s relatively 2, or not depending on the person
Dependent-Region-242@reddit
It means two.
Yeahboyeah@reddit
My grade school P.E. teacher said "a couple few." Not really a local term I'd heard before by anyone else or since. But, we assumed it was from 2 to 5, or a bit more.
zifnab966@reddit
I knew a guy who said "couple few" and meant six-ish. I figure a couple is \~2, a few is \~3, so a couple few is \~(2 x 3)?
Yeahboyeah@reddit
Do you know where that phrase originated. Like a particular region? I'm in Oregon. Nobody made a big deal out of it and we knew what he meant. It was just unusual.
qwerty-game@reddit
American here - I seem to be the minority and probably am speaking incorrectly - I use a “couple” to mean the same as a few. If there were two biscuits left, I wouldn’t say there are a couple left, I would say there are specifically two left. If there were three or four left, I would use a couple or a few. Of course if we are talking about a married couple, then it mean two. 🤷♀️
Vikingkrautm@reddit
No. Just two.
rawbface@reddit
Yeah a couple can mean more than two. It's unspecified, usually when I mean to bring extra of something. Going to the park with the dog? Take a couple extra dog waste bags, maybe like 3 or 4.
If I wanted specifically two of something, I will often say "a pair"
DrBoots@reddit
It depends on the context.
"Tom and Dave are a fun couple." Is literal, I am specifically referring to the two person couple.
"I'm on my way, just give me a couple of minutes." Is figurative. I don't mean literally two minutes, just that it won't take too long.
txlady100@reddit
Depends on the context. One common misuse might be, “I only ate a couple cookies,” when in fact it was 9.
kennymfg@reddit
Couple tree
comrade_zerox@reddit
A small number, less than 10, usually less than 5, and the pre is number isnt actually important.
You might want to have "a couple of kids" when you grow up, but a parent who says they have "a couple of kids" is probably a deadbeat dad.
Waisted-Desert@reddit
In my life couple means two, but I've heard it used to mean a small amount.
Couple < Few < Some < Several < Bunch < Many
MysteryMeat101@reddit
I’m American and a couple means 2. But now I want bacon. 🥓
AnotherSprainedAnkle@reddit
Couple is two Few is three After that, you've got things like handful, bunch, grip, slew, loads, ton, shit-load, shit-ton etc.
quack2wingback@reddit
I only use 'a couple' when referring to two because it annoys me when used otherwise...but maybe IATA🤣
AwardSalt4957@reddit
Only idiots. The word couple literally means two. (When not a verb)
largos7289@reddit
To me a couple is two, a few is more then 2.
Adventurous_Fix_6897@reddit
I always felt like it meant a few. In fact i remember being surprised when i was younger when someone took it literally as meaning 2
LadyInCrimson@reddit
A couple of us = two people A couple of minutes = undetermined amount of time that's specific to each individual.
shammy_dammy@reddit
Five or less. Unless we're talking about things like M and M's, in which a couple could be up to ten.
ScarletDarkstar@reddit
A couple is a pair, two. As with every word in America it is subject to interpretation, connotation, and misuse. I think it is used in cases where it isn't necessary to have only 2 specifically, as in "can I have a couple of your M&Ms?" which is why some interpret it to mean a few or more than two.
RedLegGI@reddit
Yep. Couple is used a few ways to mean more than two. “Grab a couple of pencils”, “I need a couple of volunteers”, etc. The person making that statement may then get asked,“How many do you want/need?”
Subject-Ad-1454@reddit
No. A couple is always two. More is a few
seidinove@reddit
What I grew up with;
Couple: Two A few: Three Several: Four or more
trikakeep@reddit
Not this American
Possible-Cicada-9662@reddit
For me, using your example of "A couple minutes" for me I would expect you to arrive in 2-5 minutes.
CG20370417@reddit
A couple is 2 to a few.
A few is more than a couple, but less than some.
Some is more that few but less than a bunch.
If you're looking out at a mile long beach, you could see 30 people out there across the length and say "theres just a few people down there".
If you're telling your wife to pick up steaks at the butcher, a couple means 2.
If you go to the bar, and there is 2 people talking next to one another and a guy alone at the far end of the bar...theres a couple of people at the bar.
If you're going to the grocery store for milk, but end up getting chips and a candy bar...you went to the store for a couple of things.
If the venue holds 500 people, and only 100 showed up, thats some. But if the venue holds 50 and 100 show up thats a bunch.
But a bunch is also just a heaping handful of candy.
Theres so much context, and as native speakers you almost always know what they mean.
BandoMemphis@reddit
Some Americans do and those ones are dumb af.
Two is a couple more than two is a few.
LateModelMillennial@reddit
I was always told 2 is a couple, 3 is a crowd, 4 on the sidewalk is never allowed
However, a lot of people use the word couple to mean "many" or "a few", indicating they havent counted.
Unhappy_Duty_7875@reddit
A couple is two. A few is three or more.
MassiveApples@reddit
It depends on the size of the thing, to most English speakers.
"I have a couple of cars." Unless they are misdirecting you or being vague on purpose, they mean two.
"Can you take out a couple of chicken breasts for dinner tonight?" That's two chicken breasts. Worth clarifying if you've got extra guests for dinner (because this MEANS two) and may show that they've forgotten the guests are coming. Equally, they could have multiple dishes planned/two are vegetarian, etc.
"I've packed a couple of sandwiches for the drive" There will not be three sandwiches. There will be two. You guys can fight to the death about whether a sandwich becomes two sandwiches when cut in half or not 😄
"Can I have a couple of your fries/chips?" Be careful. Know you're audience. Some people will expect you to take two, so choose wisely! Most will allow up to four before they start raising a fork to your outstreched hand.
"May I try one of your gummy sweets/candy?" "Yeah, they're good! Take a couple". If the bag is full and they are small, you may take up to four.
Anything that is both small AND abundant, 'a couple' means a small number.
Anything small but few - two of. Anything big - two of. More would be 'a few' or 'some'.
When it comes to time, the difference is going to come down to how you each view time, and it's abundance:
If you're planning a long dinner or a weekend away; a couple of minutes probably doesn't mean two minutes.
If you're meeting on a street corner to hand back a hoodie that got left behind, while each on your lunchbreaks, or swinging by to drop something off before you/they do something else; a couple should mean two.
WWGHIAFTC@reddit
Americans are REALLY REALLY REALLY bad at letting words have specific meanings. They always get twisted and misused over time until it no longer matters. If you point it out, you're just an asshole.
Source: American, all my life, lol.
Dry_Scar1556@reddit
If it’s more than two, I’m saying “a couple few”
SixAlarmFire@reddit
I don't consider a couple to be only two. I generally think of it as 2-4.
AlmeMore@reddit
Many do. I do not. If I say "a couple ", I mean precisely that. Two.
Compilingthings@reddit
I always say a few if I mean more than a couple. 🤷🏼♂️
Carylynn0609@reddit
I say a couple few. So six.
a-tiny-pizza@reddit
Unless i’m specifically talking about two people, i’m using it interchangeably with “a few.”
CockroachNo2540@reddit
I’m pretty consistent with “a couple” being two, but most Americans are not.
Similar-Search-8508@reddit
I say a couple three. When I don’t know the exact number 😊
NflJam71@reddit
I do but I don't mean to, it slips out. It's actually a linguistic habit I'd like to break.
hatemelovemeidk@reddit
I absolutely do not. Frequent source of frustration for me.
“I’d like a couple of cheeseburger”.
“Ok, how many cheeseburgers?
“??”
hatemelovemeidk@reddit
I just checked a couple of dictionary sites.
Apparently I am wrong, but I will die on this hill. lol.
Couple = 2.
marklikeadawg@reddit
American here. A couple is exactly two.
TheDangDeal@reddit
There are unfortunately some that indeed don’t realize that couple means exactly 2. But yes, some use couple to mean a few.
metoo123456@reddit
Couple can mean 2-4 pieces and a few can mean 3-5
Objective_Joke_5023@reddit
A couple of people is two. A couple of anything else is more than one but less than five.
redonkulousness@reddit
I say “couple” when it’s meaning two. I’ll say “few” if it’s more than 2 and less than 5. If it’s 5 or more, I’ll say “several“
TEG24601@reddit
Growing up, using "a couple" meant 2-3. My fiancee gets on me for that, because to her it alway means exactly 2. My point is, if it is exactly 2, I will say "2". "A couple" is a guess. "A couple of minutes" could be 2 minutes to 2 hours, depending on context.
"A few" is usually 3-5, to me.
dwfmba@reddit
If they do, they shouldn't. Language cannot survive being diluted, a couple means 2, nothing else.
Mr_Noms@reddit
For me it means 2-3ish.
ophaus@reddit
Two is a couple, three is a few, four is several, five is a handful, six is a half-dozen.
CyanCitrine@reddit
Yes. I use it to mean "2-4 but I haven't counted exactly and I'm estimating." Usually phrased as "a couple of" when being used this way.
geaddaddy@reddit
Outside of a romantic pairing, where it always means exactly two, it means 'Roughly two, give or take' say one and a half to three and a half
ElDub62@reddit
A couple is two. Full stop. A few is three or more.
Maronita2025@reddit
Couple means TWO. Few means 3-4.
Physical-Builder7199@reddit
Couple 2-4
Few 3-6
Several 5-8
tranquilrage73@reddit
Couple= 2, few= 3-4 or so
milliemargo@reddit
A couple left - 2, possibly 3 A couple hours - 2-3 A couple minutes - 2-15 A couple beers - 2-5 I bought a couple ___ - usually just 2
KayIslandDrunk@reddit
If I say there’s a couple items that means there’s likely 2-3. If I say a few it means 3 or more but less than 10.
jk_pens@reddit
It’s more than one but less than a few. Hope that clears it up.
Patient_Parsley7760@reddit
Short answer: Yes. A couple means a few.
Long answer: In some regions, a couple means two, unless you say "A couple-tree". As it, "It'll take ya a couple-tree minutes to get from Daley Plaza to St. James Cathedral on Huron. "
whimsical_spider@reddit
Often used to imply “at least two”. Like, I might not remember exactly how many times I did something, but I know it was at least twice so I’ll maybe say “a couple times”. If I’m pretty sure it was at least more than two, I’ll say “a few”. If I know it was more than three or four times I’ll say several.
Apprehensive-Pin518@reddit
generally a couple can be used to describe a few but not the other way around. if you mean 2 you mean a couple. if it's 3-5 you can use a couple to mean a small amount of a few.
shirlxyz@reddit
Couple =2, few=3
Traditional_Trust418@reddit
A couple means it's probably two, but it might not be
Hey-Just-Saying@reddit
It only means more than two in the case of food - like potato chips or candy. : )
HedonismIsTheWay@reddit
See this thread from 2 days ago...
https://www.reddit.com/r/ENGLISH/comments/1ssa8ph/how_much_is_a_couple/
DevilSquid117@reddit
I have a couple of times
deathshr0ud@reddit
A couple is 2. Unless it’s beers. “Let’s grab a couple beers after work” can be anywhere from 4-12.
Federal_Cat_3064@reddit
If I have three beers that’s a few. If I have three ticks on me that’s a lot
nousernamesleft199@reddit
depends on context
Necessary-Duty-7952@reddit
It means a "non-committal 2" in most cases. Meaning that it's probably 2, give or take, most often when you're referring to the number of "things."
Though in terms of "I'll be there in a couple minutes," that's more of just a common shortcut that means "I'll be there soon" and not meant to be literal.
Wild-Highway-8739@reddit
Pair = 2 Couple of = 2-3 Few = 3-4 Hand full = 5 Bunch = 4+
WhoWouldCareToAsk@reddit
“A couple minutes” is an amount of time hopefully less than one hour.
Vyckerz@reddit
Not that I know of. I use "a couple" to mean two. I use "a few" to mean 3 or more but under some larger number.
JoyfulNoise1964@reddit
No
DaSloBlade@reddit
I use couple to mean more than two.... I'll say pair if I mean exactly 2.
amboomernotkaren@reddit
A couple of beers = anything between two and 100. The couple went to the store = 2 people. I had a couple of headaches last month = 2 to 10(ish).
MacaroonSad8860@reddit
We do
AdmiralChancey@reddit
I can confirm, growing up in a smaller more rural area people used meant 3-5 of something when they said a couple.
It was actually a bit of a culture shock when I began working in the city and people actually meant exactly 2 when they asked for a couple of items.
I moved back and was working in the area I grew up in for a bit and I noticed again that when people here were asking for a couple of items they’d get irritated when I only handed them 2 instead of like 5-6.
I have no idea why it is that way, they’ll ask for a pair when they specifically need 2 of something but when they’d ask for a couple they wanted more than 2. It’s a very odd thing that I have noticed myself
alphaturducken@reddit
By definition it means "two" but if someone is going through the effort to say "a couple" rather than just "two" then idk. Kinda weird.
Colloquially, "a couple" is relative and means "more than nothing, but not very many".
"The recipe is simple. Packet of ramen, squirt of sauce, couple eggs." for example. Could be two eggs, could be three.
"The convention wasn't as popular as we thought it was going to be. We planned for 500 people but only a couple showed up." Could be 10 people, could be 70.
Basically just "a very small number relative to the situation"
Legitimate-Log-6542@reddit
You’re unfortunately spot on. It’s supposed to mean two but it’s commonly used to mean a few as well. Overall however I feel people are correct at least that a couple is less than a few.
Neither_Pudding7719@reddit
No.
Couple equals pair equals two.2️⃣
Appropriate_Copy8285@reddit
It deoends on the person and area. A couple to me is generally two, but can mean 2 or more, depending on how i emphasize it.
lfxlPassionz@reddit
It definitely means 2 but sometimes people say "a couple minutes" or "just a minute" when they really mean "it won't be very long". Not sure why they do this
breaststroker42@reddit
If there’s 2 i’ll say “two”. If there’s 2 ish i’ll say “a couple”.
Altruistic_Role_9329@reddit
It means 2 to Americans also, but not always precisely 2. In the context of your example it could easily be used interchangeably with a few minutes.
sargon_of_the_rad@reddit
But a few could be as many as 15-20, or even 30 minutes. A couple would top out at 15 minutes. Minutes are small units so the number of discrete items is higher. A biscuit is a large item so the max number of biscuits in a couple or a few is much lower.
ladytal@reddit
If people use a couple for more than two they are speaking incorrectly. A couple is two, by definition.
Sewer-Urchin@reddit
I do, and it drives my wife crazy. It's how I was raised, we often used it to mean 'a few'.
pawsplay36@reddit
I regret to inform you that, yes, some Americans do this. Which is fine when it's a vague number that is likely 2, but could be 3 or 4, but annoying when the number is clearly "a few" or "several."
robinthebank@reddit
Never trust the number if the context is a short length of time. I’m on my way can mean I’ll be leaving the house soon. And I’ll be there in 5 mins means I’ll be there soon-ish.
Piney_Dude@reddit
It only means more than two if it’s an offhand vague estimate. Otherwise the person is a little stupid.
Ellavemia@reddit
I’m a very literal person and would never use a couple to mean anything more than two. However, I’ve been burned in the past by people who are much more loose with their definition.
I’ve offered, “Take a couple for yourself.” Only to have the person take as many as they could carry. This has usually happened with food items, or toys or stickers as a child. I never could understand why they would take more than I offered.
MikeD1942@reddit
Yes, "a couple" is a lazy way to say "a small number I didnt actually check but I'm pretty sure it is more than 1."
nirvanagirllisa@reddit
I'm guilty of this
kevinlc1971@reddit
I say a couple for 2, and a few for 3 or so.
DeniLox@reddit
If someone says, “Can I borrow a couple of dollars” and you hand them $2, they are probably going to be expecting more. That is unless they are at the cash register, and are short by $2.
Appropriate_Shoe_894@reddit
Yes, the usage has changed. Many people use it that way.
Same with FEW. It used to mean the same as several. But I hear students use it in a context of thousands. "A few students live off campus", whereas we used to say 'a few thousand students live off campus'.
Language use changes. You are quite observant!
lolslim@reddit
When I mean 2 I normally say "couple" if it's 3 or more I would say "a few"
TheD0ubleAA@reddit
I have a friend who proudly says “a couple is usually a small number specifically GREATER than 2.” He will defend his stance endlessly despite how insane it is.
Helo227@reddit
I was always taught and raised “a couple means two, a few means more than two but not many”. But that has seemingly become a very unpopular opinion these days. I defined “couple” the other day straight from the dictionary and got downvoted to hell.
knoxcos@reddit
Not those of us with more than a couple of brain cells to rub together.
xSparkShark@reddit
Depends on the context, but in my experience “a couple” more often than not is used synonymously with “a few.”
A common phrase would be “I’ll be there in a couple minutes” which rarely is meant to imply exactly 2 minutes. It usually means 2-5 minutes.
LukeCH2015@reddit
my rough personal opinion is that a "couple" of items can mean either two, three, or four items,
five seems like more than a "couple," even four may be a pushing the boundaries,
Lobada@reddit
From my experience it usually goes as follows:
Couple: Two or more.
Few: Three or more.
Some: 4 or more.
Shepherd-Boy@reddit
My wife does sometimes and it makes me irrationally angry lol (both Americans).
valdetero@reddit
I always used it to mean a small amount. Pretty much 4 or less. My wife strongly corrected me that that couple means exactly two and no more.
Sorry to let everyone who thought it meant more than two are wrong.
Sammakko660@reddit
For people, it's 2.
But anything else, yes 2-4. Couple of hours, couple of books. A few for me is 2-3.
Again, that's just me.
Effinehright@reddit
Mind if I steal a couple chip?
FriendWinter9674@reddit
I hardly ever say "a couple" to mean exactly two things. I would probably say "a pair" in that case. I mostly use it the same way I would "a few". I think its 2, 3, or 4 but I didn't count.
lewisfrancis@reddit
American here, and I've also always equated a "couple" to be exactly two.
However, after moving to Baltimore I noticed when I asked for a couple of something, the clerk would always ask for clarification, perhaps it's a regional thing? I grew up in the south, fwiw.
Left_Lengthiness_433@reddit
Two is the most common usage, but the word is also used when people want to be vague about the exact amount. (Like at the side of road, when speaking to a police officer about beverages consumed at the pub…)
DankBlunderwood@reddit
A couple means "two or maybe more, I'm not exactly sure".
spiralreading@reddit
I would only say "a couple" to mean 2. I would say "a few" to mean 3 or 4. I'm an American.
TheHouseOnTheCorner@reddit
American here (sorry about Trump🙄)
A couple is an indeterminate number less than 5.
Unless it's a romantic relationship. Then 2 is a couple, 3 is a throuple, 4 is a crowded bed.
MilleryCosima@reddit
It means "Roughly two."
sdduuuude@reddit
I would never use "couple" to mean anything other than "two".
RodgerRodger8301@reddit
Devonshire when someone asks how many beer you've had ... "a couple" sounds better than 6
PhilipAPayne@reddit
Only if they failed to learn the actual meaning of “couple.” Personally I find it terribly annoying when someone says “I have a couple of things I need help with” and then they list five things.
helikophis@reddit
I would go so far as to say it almost never means two here, except when talking about a mated pair.
jrhawk42@reddit
There's really no upper limit to a couple, but generally it is not supposed to be very many. Some people take advantage of this in speech to make things sound better than they actually are. "I only had a couple drinks" or "It was only a couple times" and "I'll be a couple minutes late"
If details matter ask for details.
Hylian_ina_halfshell@reddit
Depends. Usually two
But when I say I had a couple a beers. That is always more than two
Randalthor93@reddit
The way I’ve always said it and interpeted it is a couple is a 2-3 approximation(maybe 4 for some people). A few is approximately 3-to roughly 5 or 6, and a bit depends on context, if counting time a bit could be anywhere from 10 min to an hour, while counting objects could be anywhere from 6-a couple dozen typically depending on the size of the object. I would call 36 M&M’s a bit but I would call 36 elephants a bunch.
mannisbaratheon97@reddit
It’s when you know there’s more than one but aren’t sure if there are more than 3-4. Because then you’d use “few”
SilverSteele69@reddit
I always used couple to mean precisely two, my wife used couple to mean a few. When I asked her she said "couple can mean two or three". To which I replied "well, you and I are a couple, so does that mean we can have a threesome??"
Couple now means two.
BlahBlah-Something@reddit
I only use “a couple” to mean exactly 2, because that is the meaning of the word. “A few” is meant for 3-5ish.
Panicking_in_trench@reddit
I feel like saying "couple left" when there is 2 is misleading, I would say just 2. It's usually around 3-4 for me.
Fellatination@reddit
If I had to add a number to them:
A couple is 1-3
A few is 2-4
Several is 4-9
10ish is "About 10"
10-14 "About a dozen"
Quirky-Flight-9812@reddit
I try to use couple to mean two and few to mean 3 - 5. After that I try to be more accurate.
Slight_Manufacturer6@reddit
No… anyone that does is wrong.
pix071317@reddit
Let me tell you a couple’a three things.
Darkrose50@reddit
Couple is two. Sometimes people estimate. Sometimes people misuse the word. But mostly couple means two.
Few means three or more.
Keeping these two words meaning separated, can be hard for a child.
ashley5473@reddit
It’s supposed to mean 2, even to us.
sleepygrumpydoc@reddit
If I’m using a couple it’s because I want to be non committal with the unit of time or measurement. If I’m going to be there in a couple of minutes it’s probable somewhere in the 2-5 minute range. If I know I’ll be there in 2 minutes I’ll just say 2. If I want you to get me a couple cookies, it’s because I just want a small amount and no set number, again if I want 2 cookies I’ll say 2. If something is a couple miles away it’s more than one but less than 10. A couple never has a specific number attached to it for me, but will always mean more than one however the upper range will vary depending on what it is I’m talking about.
judijo621@reddit
Not ideally. A pair is a steadfast two. Bride and groom. Salt and pepper.
How many bottles of hoisin sauce are in my fridge? A couple... But given my shopping habits, it could be 3 or 4. (It's an ADHD running meme joke)
How many ants on my counter? A couple scouts. It could be 3 or 6.
CheekyPunker@reddit
I do and it pisses off everyone around me so I guess no, lol
strumthebuilding@reddit
“A couple” always means literally exactly two, but the phrase is often used figuratively. Like, “I’m dying of hunger.” Nobody actually expects your heart & lungs to stop, but that doesn’t mean we redefine what it means to die. “I’ll be there in a couple minutes”: you’ll be there in 15 minutes to a half hour, but that doesn’t change the literal meaning of the word “couple.”
McBernes@reddit
In my head, as a southern US resident, a couple means 2. A few is 3 to 5. Several is 6 to 15. More than 15 is a lot. Soon you get into crap tons, butt loads, and similar units if measurement.
NathanEmory@reddit
If someone said this 2 would be a good guess to the number, but in reality it can be any number between 2-5. We're basically just saying there is more than one left, but not enough to say a half-dozen, dozen, etc.
Mysterious-Web-8788@reddit
yes but it's split between smart and dumb people. Intelligent people use "couple" to mean a pair, or two. Less intelligent people get sucked into this slang of using "couple" to mean whatever they want.
It's common but not all of us do it. As a language learner, I'd recommend you keep this in mind when hearing us speak.... But when you're talking, only use it to mean "two".
smedema@reddit
More than 2 would be a few
FriendoftheDork@reddit
It's the same in Norwegian and I'd guess most Germanic languages.
ComedianXMI@reddit
As a southerner: Couple can mean anything under 10. But we also use words like "yonder" for distance. So we're not huge on being exact.
Warr_Ainjal-6228@reddit
As it pertains to people 2 "there's a cute couple". If you're out drinking "a couple of beers", 2-4
StardogChamp@reddit
Stupid ones
MetroBS@reddit
Well a couple minutes could be like 6 minutes
Emotional-Ocelot-309@reddit
How many times can this question be asked in the last week or so. A couple? A few?
Loisgrand6@reddit
American/southerner here. Couple can mean just two or it can mean more
Fantastic_Golf_7154@reddit
I use "a couple" to mean 2. I use "a few" to mean more than 2.
RaspberryJam56@reddit
Yeah in like 8th grade my teacher had a bowl of candy and said I could "take a couple" and I asked "how many?" And he made a big deal of asking "if a couple went to prom together, how many people is that? Of course I meant two." But to me, "a couple" in that context meant a few. We were both native english speakers from New Jersey so not sure why we had two different meanings.
d3ut1tta@reddit
Can't say if it's an American thing, but I personally use a "couple" to mean two, and it confuses me a bit much to mean anything more or less. But I'd say words like "few", "a [little] bit", etc. to mean something in a small quantity that's definitely more than one, could be two, but not a lot. I notice majority of people say "couple" to mean something in the ballpark of two, but at the same time, I've witnessed people to use "couple" to mean something definitely way more than two.
PhoTronic28@reddit
I’m a firm believer that “couple” should mean exactly two and that “few” should mean a minimum of 3, potentially more. However, “couple” is commonly used as “approximately 2” and is more of a guess/estimate.
RegularWorry1486@reddit
No
Seidhr96@reddit
A couple means two, but in everyday vernacular a couple =/= two. It could == 1, 3, 5, or 210. One never knows. Generally, it is estimated to be two unless you are referring to a couple, as in a partnered pair of humans who are dating. For instance “they make a lovely couple”
Gremlin1001001@reddit
I believe I would use that term for more than two but there’s a limit and I think it’s subjective. If I’m in a casual conversation I might use the term for three or four but at some point I would switch to the term “a few.” Of course if I happened to be talking to a cop it’s always a couple and never a few. 😜
saragIsMe@reddit
Native English speaker here. Where I’m from a couple has always meant 2-7ish. A few is 3-12ish. Several to me has always been more than 5. Hope this helps?
Kittymeow123@reddit
Look at the dictionary definition. A couple is broad in definition.
Ok_Buy_9703@reddit
Couple is smaller, than a few but, not exactly 2.
GigiGenX72020@reddit
A couple = two. A few = more than two.
Bastyra2016@reddit
Cop: how many beers have you had
Person: just a couple at the beach this afternoon
Cop: there are 12 empty cans in your cooler
Person: yep!
oswin13@reddit
Oh, just need to add so you don't end up on Jerry Springer, a couple is inprecise except when talking about romance. There couple means exactly two or someone's in trouble.
No-Mouse4800@reddit
A couple can mean more than two.
It can be used in the same concept as in German with the words "ein paar" (lower case) meaning "a few" vs "ein Paar" (a pair) as in a pair of shoes.
It's not just an American thing but is the case with the English language in general. Context is important.
darw1nf1sh@reddit
A couple is 2.
A few is 3.
Several is 4.
TikiJeff@reddit
I really depends on what the "couple" is. A couple of minutes is never 2, usually at least double that.
MesopotamiaSong@reddit
a couple is similar to a few. it’s like 2-4 things, and a few is a little bit more
Geeezzzz-Louise@reddit
A couple is 2. More than 2 is a few
Lugbor@reddit
Two, maybe three. Anything definitively three or more is a few.
Keep in mind that time is a particularly tricky one, because most people aren't really all that great at estimating it. A couple minutes might be their intention, when it really ends up being more than that.
Scav-STALKER@reddit
Me and my wife get into it over this, to me a couples exactly two and to her it’s equivalent to saying a few
Zealousideal_Idea_98@reddit
I do
Shirtman1500@reddit
Consider that a “a couple of three things” is a valid phrase and you will have your answer.
Potential_Phone7794@reddit
If we are talking about tangible/physical items and the context implies specificity, then “a couple” will mean two.
When the object is either difficult to quantify or if I am intentionally being vague, then “a couple” can mean “very small amount,” similar to “a few.” I would argue that “a few” is more neutral, whereas “a couple” shows intent of the speaker to emphasize the smaller amount, but many will use the two phrases interchangeably.
“I need a couple minutes” = “I don’t know when I’ll be ready, but it will be very soon”
“I drank a couple beers” = “I drank a lot, but I promise I’m not an alcoholic”
“I just bought a couple things” = “Please don’t judge me for how much money I’ve spent.”
Question for anti-couplers: if “a couple” should have the same rigidity as the number two, why not just say two? Would you understand “We talked about it a couple times” to mean, “We talked about it EXACTLY TWICE. DONT YOU DARE ASSUME THAT I HAVE ANY MORE OR ANY LESS CONTEXT THAN SOMEONE WHO TALKED ABOUT IT ONCE, AND THEN ONCE AGAIN!” It just seems like the proposed lack of nuance would make the phrase “a couple” almost entirely superfluous.
bahamatomm@reddit
Let me tell you a couple, three things
Dai-The-Flu-@reddit
Five f*ckin' Families and we got this other pygmy thing over in Jersey
RockShowSparky@reddit
it’s just casual speech, you have to infer from context what they mean. It literally means two.
But if I say, I’ve been waiting here for a minute, that could mean 60 seconds, a short while, or a long ass time. Same idea.
JadedDreams23@reddit
I personally believe a couple is two, and a few is probably three, but could be four, and any more than that would be a bunch. But I’ve encountered people who think a couple would be what I consider a few.
cuentalternativa@reddit
Imo a couple is two if you wanted a couple more you’d ask for a few
Techaissance@reddit
The only time a couple is exactly two is a romantic couple.
kurai-tsuki@reddit
A few and a couple are interchangeable to me. Both could mean upwards of 6-7 items.
AcceptableBanana2670@reddit
This is regional! I did a masters degree in linguistics and discussed this exact thing with one friend from the northwest, one friend from the northeast, and i myself am from the Midwest.
We found that for Midwestern dialects, "a couple" and "a few" tend to be more strict- 2 and 3 respectively. But for both of them, a couple could mean as many as 4, and a few could be as many as 6! It blew my mind haha, but there's data showing similar trends being well-established.
Individual_Check_442@reddit
In that context, “couple” is basically being used as a generic term for a short amount of time not meant to be exactly precise.
unus-suprus-septum@reddit
Not according to my wife.
StewReddit2@reddit
Informally yes "a couple" is a polite way to actually mean an indefinite number
Typically 2-4 but honestly it really depends on context and what is being spoken of..
"A couple" of your chips 🍟 French fries NEVER means "exactly two" Nobody means literally 2 potato chips/crisps if they ask for "a couple"
"I'll be there/down in a couple of minutes" NEVER means start a 120 second clock....it means "a few" ( which "might" stretch a half hour or more) but typically it means "calm TF down I'll be there "relatively shortly" but not exactly 120 seconds/2 minutes
I drank "a couple" of drinks 🍸 might mean 2 but could mean 4/5/6 .....the implication is said person "feels" they have had "a lot'
"A couple" and "a few" are used relatively interchangeably and both are generally used to mean "More than one, but less than a Lot"
**The only time "a couple" typically literally mean two is when referencing "a couple" as in two ppl in a relationship...but as for places, things, objects....nah "a couple" is generally NEVER strictly just "two, exactly"
Like on a menu...a restaurant would say "two eggs" not "a couple of eggs" ....as to not be vague
If you do out for "a couple of drinks" you did NOT just say "exactly 2"....again it is understood to mean an indefinite number of drinks ....maybe 2-4 actual....or maybe until 2-4am 🙃
Slow_Concern_672@reddit
Because the original meaning of the word meant two things that are bonded together from the root, it's used in multiple ways depending on the context. If I'm talking about a couple as in a person or something that is coupled together, I mean two people or two things that are somehow brought together. They don't have to be similar. They just have to be together like and not in a bolt or not necessarily similar I'm not asking for two bolts. I'm asking for a nut and a bolt to couple together.
If I say a couple, otherwise usually I mean a small amount. That usage started in around 1500. The usage where it meant exactly two things that were similar but not paired Or bonded started in the 1300s. But if I'm doing something that needs to be exact and I mean two. I just say two.
So which you use or which is normal to where you live might change depending on how language evolved. There's also some people that understand that language evolved and most people around them actually did evolve but they for some reason think there's a rule that it must only mean two similar things. Even though the other meanings have been around for a lot longer. I think it's just a way of being imprecise now when it means a small amount of things. But a minimum amount. Like a couple is almost always going to be more than one. And a few Will almost always be more than 2.
Funicularly@reddit
If that’s the case, why not just say “two”?
thosmarvin@reddit
Yes, but context matters…”In a couple more minutes you will see a couple that has been married for 10 years”. First is ambiguous, indicating very soon and the second indicates exactly two. Interestingly when used as a verb it definitely means the joining of exactly two things, like “the two railroad cars will couple, then they will do it a couple more times.”
Last-Radish-9684@reddit
It means exactly 2 in my old (73) brain. Northern Arizona
Mediocre_Daikon6935@reddit
The fact there is any other and shows a fundamental failure Of the education system.
Slow_Concern_672@reddit
How so?? The original word came from Latin and meant pairs bonded together. Either in marriage for people or a physicqlly For inanimate objects. It didn't turn into 2 two until the 13th century. By the 15th century it meant a vague small amount. I don't think colloquialisms mean that there's a failure of the education system. But thinking that a word you use in a certain way has always been that way and everybody else is wrong does.
coisavioleta@reddit
The fact that you think this shows a fundamental failure of the educational system. It clearly hasn’t taught you anything about how language actually works.
westernuplands@reddit
In the upper Midwest they will say "a couple, two, three" to indicate that they just mean a low number, not exactly 2. But in general if someone says "yeah, that happened to me a couple times," that means it happened a few times, not necessarily exactly 2.
ScormCurious@reddit
I am always amused by hearing “a couple-three or “a couple-five” or a similar count, to mean “a few”. I’ve heard it mostly from white guys older than forty, mostly not from where I’m from, it sounds a bit rural midwestern (Ohio/Indiana ish) to me but I would not put a bet on any of that. I identify with that sense of “a few” so strongly. In my head it’s more than one but less than seven and it’s not important beyond that and I’m sort of intellectually circling around whether my brain can precisely identify a number of the thing. People who study numeracy suggest that this sense of the number of things is pretty normal — in the moment at a glance humans can usually quickly identify the number of things when it’s seven or below. But recollecting things or projecting things, it can get hazier. Certainly in US English dialect, probably in many dialects and languages, a word or phrase exists that reflects this very phenomenon. For me, it’s often the phrase “a couple,” and I like the way “a couple-five” sort of humorously encompasses the human numeracy issue at play.
Boom_Gate_Lady@reddit
Some people say "6 - 7" and do an up and down thing with their hands to indicate they're not sure whether to rate a six or a seven.
Sheetz_Wawa_Market32@reddit
Yep. In the anthracite coal region of Pennsylvania, the expression is,
a couple two-tree
because the area’s largely Central European immigrants had a hard time with the th-sound. Those immigrants also thought it important to make it explicit that “a couple” did not mean “exactly two.”
Bright_Ices@reddit
“A couple few”
MageDA6@reddit
I feel like it varies person to person. For me when I say “a couple” I mean 2. When it’s more than two things or minutes, i say “a few”.
GOTaSMALL1@reddit
A couple is two.
“I’ll be there in a couple minutes.” is still two. But it’s a lie. Same as… “I’m just walking out the door” when I’m still in bed.
DefinitelyNotEmu@reddit
A couple is defined as two similar items, people, or things, or a small, indefinite number (often two to four)
Slow_Concern_672@reddit
A couple originally meant two things paired together. Not just similar things but two similar things but two things linked together physically like a screw and bolt or metaphorically like a married pair. It didn't start to be used in English until 1300. By 1500 it started to mean a small amount. So it has been used as a small amount for a longer time than it was used to mean 2 similar but unpaired items.
Ok_Gas5386@reddit
This is like how they added irregardless to the dictionary
Reaganson@reddit
Sure, it means two or three.
TRLK9802@reddit
I only use couple to mean two.
spandexcatsuit@reddit
I only use it to mean 2
Gmhowell@reddit
America is a big country. We have a lot of morons and they’re allowed to access the internet.
showersneakers@reddit
Couple is two, a few is 3, handful is under 5 and several is 7 or more
And they are all estimates plus minus a couple but best guess
ingmar_@reddit
This is not the case in English. To quote Merriam/Webster:
NoKing9900@reddit
Concerning the amount of people, yes it’s two. For time, a couple of minutes would usually be under 5 minutes (but to be honest, it’s usually more)
Haifisch2112@reddit
I use "couple" and "few" figuratively speaking. If I'm being precise, I use actual numbers. If I'm expecting someone to pick me up for a ride, I might tell them I'll be out in just a few minutes. But if I'm running behind or need more time, I might tell them I'll be ready in 10 minutes.
DontReportMe7565@reddit
We know a couple means two. If im lazy or trying to reach for a word too quickly I may say it. But I know it's wrong and I should have said 'several'.
old-town-guy@reddit
I like the way these questions are written. Equal measure incredulity and “I’m going to lose sleep over the answer.”
MustacheSupernova@reddit
Yes, Americans say a couple and it doesn’t necessarily always mean exactly two. It’s quite common.
Personally, I almost always say a couple when it really means two, and a few when it means three or more. One exception is if I tell my wife I’m just going to be a couple of minutes, that almost always end up being more than two minutes so… Take that for what it’s worth.
Actually, I’m full of shit, because the more I think about it, the more examples that come up with. If I say I’m going out for a couple of beers, that’s almost always four beers, so basically I’m full of baloney, and I think most Americans Say a couple but really mean more.
JayJayDoubleYou@reddit
I've noticed ESL Americans tend to think of a "couple" more like a "handful"
RhinoPillMan@reddit
I don’t know about anyone else, but I’ve always been very firm on “a couple” being exactly two.
bonzombiekitty@reddit
Personally "a couple" is a small, indeterminate amount of things, but not more than 4.
"We went out and had a couple beers" is going to usually mean 2 or 3 beers, MAYBE 4.
At 4, you are in "a few" territory.
Automatic_Catch_7467@reddit
A couple,tree, or four
OldDescription9064@reddit
You can see from the answers that most people use it to mean "approximately 2," but there is a set of pendants who think it means "exactly 2." But another important point about your example is that even when someone gives you an exact number, you should not take it literally. Sometimes the person saying they'll be there in 5 minutes actually believes it. Sometimes they're just telling you what you want to hear. Either way, you should never expect them to actually be there. Most people are terrible at estimating time. This may not apply in some parts of Northern Europe.
nis_sound@reddit
Good answers overall, but I'd add, not all Americans appreciate the more obtuse usage of couple. I've had it come up in business contexts where Knowing whether it was specifically 2, 3, etc. was important.
I think to put it another way, it's also very casual, and some people use it inappropriately.
ExultantGitana@reddit
Indeed, a couple means two, a few means three or more but, but not all native US English speakers are intelligent on this specific term haha 😄
SubstantialPressure3@reddit
2-3
GeorgeWBush2016@reddit
let me tell you a couple of three things
Kyle81020@reddit
It means two to me, and, I think, most Americans. I get mildly irritated when people use it to mean “about two.” I say, “a couple three” if I mean two or so.
Derwin0@reddit
A couple is two, a few is three or more.
TheEvilOfTwoLessers@reddit
Generally no, but it can sometimes be used in a way that implies the total number isn’t known but is at least two. A phrase I heard as a kid from adults but haven’t heard in ages is “a couple three” meaning two or three but which is unknown.
People on the internet will argue a couple can be more than two whenever a number they referred to as a couple proved to be more, but that’s idiots arguing anonymously on the internet and shouldn’t be taken for how anyone really uses the word.
Slothnazi@reddit
Couple = two
Few = three
Some = four
Several = 5+
choices1569@reddit
Not this American! A couple means 2, a few means 3, several is 4 or more.
Number-2-Sis@reddit
To me, a couple = 2 A few = 3, maybe four but you are not sure
Several = at least four up to six
pikkdogs@reddit
Yes. But it sometimes depends what the object is.
A couple of people is always 2. A couple of donuts could be more.
pinaple_cheese_girl@reddit
This started as a little kid for me. I asked my older brother for “a couple of goldfish” and he would only give exactly 2 because “a couple means two.” I was 5ish at the time and flabbergasted. Since then, I’ve been adamant that a couple means “a few”, like more than 1 but less than 10 lol
The Webster dictionary specifically says “two or a few”
interstellar_egg@reddit
It can be anywhere on the spectrum from German punctuality to island-time. Some people respect your time and wouldn’t dream of being late, others simply don’t care. Don’t take this personally, they are late to everything all the time and would somehow find a way to be late to their own funeral. I don’t understand these people at all, but they do exist. Somehow.
As for numbers, a ‘couple’ is two. Some people use it possibly three, but those people are wrong. A ‘few’ is three but definitely less than five and if you’re using it as four, you’re on thin ice, buddy. A ‘bunch’ is more than three and upwards of ten, but can be used for things more than ten in some situations (a flock of Canadian murder geese that is more than ten could be a ‘I had to change my route because a bunch of goddamn (insert specific irritation here) were in the way’, but less than a ‘ton’, and a ‘ton’ is an ungodly amount, though this can be used as both truth or hyperbole. As mentioned by someone earlier, a ‘cupulla’, especially in the case of alcoholic drinks, could mean drinking two beers for a little get-together or enough to stumble home completely shitfaced to pass out on your living room floor (if you’re lucky, the front lawn of you’re not), and you might not know which is the case for you until it’s too late. Regionally, in the South, ‘a mess’ could either mean a bunch or a ton, depending on inflection and subject. In the Midwest, ‘awww, jeez, it was a lot,’ means it was, in fact, a lot, and the specific amount doesn’t matter because it was definitely enough and probably too much.
Time, however, seems to run differently for us all, and a ‘couple minutes’ may be two or ten or neither. ‘Just give me a minute’, depending on tone, can mean you’re being impatient with them and they don’t appreciate it, or it can mean they’re stressing themselves out to finish a task, or it can mean they literally need one minute to do the mentioned task, though the last is more rare. ‘I’ll be there in a minute’ could mean they’ll be there in one minute up to ten, that they’ve actually just woken up and will be there in an hour, or in the case of kids/spouse involving chores, will never be there unless you make them and then they’ll be mad about it because ‘I was going to!!!!’
Piper-Bob@reddit
In America I think “a couple of minutes” is idiom and not reflective of what we think the word couple means.
Mediocre_Daikon6935@reddit
No. A couple Means 2.
Anyone who is using it any other way is an idiot.
ElectricalTwist4083@reddit
I have a friend who seems to disregard this. To me a couple means two, to him it’s a relative term that often means more. He is a jackass.
bryku@reddit
That being said, there are times someone might say "couple", but don't always mean exactly 2. For example: "I need a couple minutes" is a generic use. It is probably 2, but no on is literally counting 2 minutes. It maybe be 2,3,4,5, or 6.
Pomeranian18@reddit
Yes, in general "a couple" means "about two, but maybe a few more." It's when you don't care about the exact number. "There's a couple more apples left in the fridge," would mean "a small number."
Weary_Capital_1379@reddit
Yes incorrectly. Couple=2 A few=more than 2
musaXmachina@reddit
If I’m in a formal technical situation I would use couple for two, few for three. Outside of that I would use them interchangeably. Saying there’s a couple biscuits left is inconsequential.
a-can-o-beans@reddit
I always say couple for 2 and a “few” for 3 and up
kalvaroo@reddit
A couple of beers is almost always more than two. For other things it’s close to two or actually two.
Mustang46L@reddit
Just when I'm talking about how many beers I'm going to drink. 😉
ghost_suburbia@reddit
Couple is two. A few is three. Several is more than 3. That said, these are guesses. If you knew for sure, you'd say the number.
machagogo@reddit
Not everyone, but a lot of people yes.
In context it is the same as if someone says hey, it's time to go, and you say in response "Yeah, just give me a second/minute"
It's an expression, not a literal statement.
Also, neither of this is unique to the US, rather it is native English speakers in general
Unusual_Memory3133@reddit
No. A couple is 2. More than 2 is a few.
FreeKevinBrown@reddit
2 is a couple, more than two is a few. Anyone who doesn't understand that is a bumpkin.
jasonreid1976@reddit
For me it goes like this:
Couple: 2
Few: 3 to 5
Several: Over 5.
As you can tell, there's no consistency anywhere.
yid_amok@reddit
If it’s a small amount and the actual number is inconsquential, “a couple” is a fine catch all in my experience. So saying “a couple of minutes” when it’s closer to 3-5mins is fine if there’s no emergency, but if you’re at the butcher counter and order a couple pounds of beef, it’d be pretty bold for them to give you 4lbs.
hannnnnnie@reddit
No American is ever at the butcher saying “give me a couple pounds”, because, yeah, when Americans say “a couple”, it could convey any quantity between 2 and 5.
The_Law_of_Pizza@reddit
If the context is such that the actual amount is important (like when ordering a specific amount of beef), a "couple" always means two in American usage.
The only time that a "couple" is vague is in situations like what the comment above is talking about - where the specific number is entirely inconsequential to the context.
Imagine a mom calling upstairs to her kid that dinner is ready, and he yells back, "Just a couple more minutes!"
That's a loose, exaggerated reference to "more" in that context rather than an attempt to refer to any specific number.
In all other contexts it always means two.
whocares023@reddit
Having worked retail, people actually do order like this sometimes. And then act like you're an idiot for not reading their mind and knowing exactly what they mean by a "couple". Good times.
InternalError33@reddit
I wonder if this is regional, because I'm far more likely to say "a few minutes" to mean 3-5 minutes.
fyukhyu@reddit
Yup, American here and "a few" means 3-5. A couple is 2.
Express-Stop7830@reddit
Depends on context and location, I suppose. I would say "I'll be there in a few minutes."
If my mom says to pick up "a couple" apples at the grocery store, she means two. I might get a third for me.
Now, if my dad says "5 minutes" good luck with that. The meat in the grill might be ready now and he needs you to bring a plate or it could be another 20 minutes.
Also like to add that when I stayed in the DR, "ahorita" really through me. It's the diminutive of ahora, so I thought it meant right away. Hahahaha was I wrong.
AdAutomatic6654@reddit
I grew up being taught couple means 2 while few means 3 or more. But in every day use couple usually means more than one. Like saying “hand me a couple of grapes please” doesn’t mean I’m asking specifically two grapes. it’s become interchangeable with few or some depending on context.
Ok_Gas5386@reddit
A couple = 2
A couple of = 2
Any possible use of a couple means exactly two. You “people” saying otherwise are just wrong
A small number = a few
bloopidupe@reddit
In middle school when sharing candy:
A couple= 2
A few= 3-4
Some= 4+
As an adult some is bigger than a couple or few, but couple and few are a similarly small number.
foobiscuit@reddit
Ugh, American here and it’s a pet peeve of mine. A couple = 2. I guess people loosely use a couple to mean 2-3, but that still bothers me.
The_Menu_Guy@reddit
If I say: “I had a couple beers“ it could mean 2 or maybe even 4-5.
8WhosEar8@reddit
I use to be in camp “a couple of” = 2-6 of something. My wife was firm that “a couple = 2” and “a few” = 2-6 of something. It was never a big deal until we started having miscommunication issues. Asking her to grab a couple of x from the store and she would come home with way more than I wanted. Now I’m in camp “a couple” = 2 and “a few” = 2-6
popdivtweet@reddit
It’s all in the context.
Handful, shitload, couple, few, fuckton…
Peculiar-Interests@reddit
2 = A couple
2 to 4 = A few
5+ = Several
ChessieChesapeake@reddit
“Couple” is for 2. A little more than that would be a “few”
kae0603@reddit
A couple is 2 . A few is more than 2. I am an American and that’s how I have always used the word. From New England if that makes a difference.
shadowmib@reddit
A couple means two. Three or more is a few. When there's more than you can count instantly, then it's several or many
ExperienceStrange407@reddit
"Couple" is for 2, and "Few" is for 3 or 4.
sewsowsigh@reddit
I know some people who use "a couple" to mean any amount, but it confuses the hell out of me too
SnarkFest2026@reddit
American here… a couple should never mean more than two. That’s why the phrase “a few” exists. It defines more than two, but not necessarily a firm number.
Tough_Tangerine7278@reddit
Yes. 2-4
Significant-Dance-43@reddit
No
Little_Neddie@reddit
A couple of beers is as many beers as I’d like. But I’d like you to think it’s roughly two.
Gloosch@reddit
As a young child growing up I was always so confused when I’d say a couple (thinking it always meant two) and people would confused on the exact number. Yes, there are Americans who use couple as a stand-in for a few. If you are speaking to someone in America, it’s always better to just say two instead of a couple, as a couple doesn’t consistently mean two for everyone.
twelveangryken@reddit
American here. In my vernacular, a couple is two, a few is three (primarily) or possibly four, and several is five or more - but fewer or less than ten.
r2k398@reddit
I think it’s morphed. Like “I’ll be down in a couple of minutes” means “soon”, not literally two minutes.
Reginald_Sparrowhawk@reddit
It's the same way I tell my boss that I'll get something done in "a minute" when I know damn well it's going to take me an hour.
Anyway colloquially "a couple" can mean "an arbitrarily small amount", but if it gets past three I usually hear "a few" used instead
TrapdoorSolution@reddit
I personally solely use it for two. Anything more I say “a few” but depending on the context situation we might escalate to “some” or “a lot of” lol
IBAChristian317@reddit
Yes.
misagale@reddit
A couple strictly means two in America
zinky8@reddit
I use it a lot.
phred_666@reddit
I don’t. I strictly use “couple” for two. Anything from 3-5, I will say a few. Any other time, I will specify the number.
Additional-Slide5407@reddit
The ignorant ones yes.
Prize_Consequence568@reddit
Depends on the particular person OP.
1Negative_Person@reddit
No.
boilface@reddit
Lots of great examples here but one of the first things I thought of was the expression "throw a couple burgers on the grill." If somebody invited me to their house to watch a game and they said they were going to throw a couple burgers on the grill, I would think they were crazy if they only cooked two burgers
CPLWPM85@reddit
For me 2, is a couple 3-5, is a few, and anything more would be several.
WokeUpIAmStillAlive@reddit
Not any sensible American
rolyoh@reddit
Might be age-related. When I was growing up (60s/70s), it was "a couple of" for exactly two, and "a few of" for three or more. And there were no exceptions or excuses allowed.
Lastofthehaters@reddit
Yes up to five
Hot_Depth_3367@reddit
Definitely not more than 5! That's different territory.
Lastofthehaters@reddit
Yes then it’s a bunch.
SmokedPumpkin@reddit
It means two unless you’re referring to something like minutes, where you don’t really know exactly many there will be until you’re done. But if I say “Give me a couple of baked potatoes”, and you give me three, I’m going to assume you’re stupid or a jerk.
Reliant20@reddit
I don't. For me, it strictly means two.
Hegemonic_Smegma@reddit
Americans know that "couple" means two, so always hold them to that. Any other take is an effort to decieve, or intellectually laziness.
Hot_Depth_3367@reddit
I think it's just regional slang if you will.
jenntasticxx@reddit
In my head:
Couple=2
Few=3-5
Several=6+
Context may change few and several but couple is always 2
LavaPoppyJax@reddit
Yes Anerican's use it (improperly )like that especially when it's about time it's meant to be vague when it's talking about time. I'm pretty precise about things that I definitely am not precise about time.
tetlee@reddit
I guess my personal scale goes something like
"A couple" always 2.
"A few" 3 or more to normal amount.
"Several" a normal amount to slightly more than you'd think.
"Alot" more than the normal person would expect.
the-quibbler@reddit
No. Those are the reptiloids. They disguise themselves like the rest of us, but they're infantivores and secretly control the government and all the banks.
No_Importance_750@reddit
Yeah it’s kind of vague and depends on context. A couple can refer to two, like a romantic couple for example, but sometimes, especially when people say “a couple of” they can mean more than 2.
Hot_Depth_3367@reddit
Yes. Yes we do. Generally one would assume a couple means two...and they wouldn't be wrong! At least in the Midwest we'll say "Ehh! Going down to the bar to meet a couple of friends!" Translation: I am going to an establishment that serves alcohol, thats location could be north or south, likely "down" town to meet a unknown amount of people I enjoy drinking with.
Pravus_Nex@reddit
A couple of two, except in Utah..
hikarizx@reddit
Literally it means two but normally when people use it in conversation it means more like approximately 2.
DawaLhamo@reddit
This was just asked in r/ENGLISH - https://www.reddit.com/r/ENGLISH/s/XbSYL48bGL
Lots of Americans answered there, too.
Yes, formally it's two - informally, it's imprecise and may mean a small number, always more than one, usually less than ten.
eddie_cat@reddit
I don't know if it's gonna be two or three minutes dude, give me a bit of wiggle room
Glad-Cat-1885@reddit
Some dumb people do. Same with a few
Hefty_Tip7383@reddit
American - ages 2-13 English - age 13+
Minimalistmacrophage@reddit
Couple of minutes nearly always means more than 2.
When is comes to time couple almost always really means several or few.
If it is going to be 2 minutes people will generally say 2 minutes. (not they will necessarily keep to that)
makeherbeg4it@reddit
No, it always means two. Those people are just terrible at estimating time for lateness. If it's more than two we say "a few".
Fluid_Anywhere_7015@reddit
No.
A couple = two.
A few = more than two.
A bunch = many.
LeprosyMan@reddit
Where I’m from (Texas) a couple means two people, regardless of relationship (I have a couple coming over could be a relationship or just two friends), a coupla mean 2-5 people, a few is 3-8, some friends 5-10, and it gets more widespread the more you have.
JuryOk2662@reddit
A couple is two. I once told a guy at the deli I wanted a couple of chicken tenders and he asked how many. It's the most I've ever been embarrassed for another person.
Queen_Kaizen@reddit
One quantifies something (ADJ: a couple of bucks) and one describes a thing (Noun: they are a couple).
wino12312@reddit
Yeah, but I'm old.
GoddessOfOddness@reddit
It almost always means two.
A few means 3 or 4.
No one would blame you for assuming it meant two. “Can you hand me a couple of pencils?” No one would complain if you gave them two.
Like many languages, we also exaggerate. “Can I talk to you for a couple minutes” doesn’t literally mean two minutes.
jawshoeaw@reddit
Couple years ago…could be anything, couple people walking 2-3. A couple is 2
ObsceneOnes@reddit
Couple always means two. A few means more than two. But some folks are just ignorant.
That said the phrase "I will be there in a couple of minutes" in free acity means I will be there fairly shortly. No one really counting minutes when useing that phrase. Some with "give me a few (minutes)".
ladyzfactor@reddit
I'm queer, so I use couple to avoid awkward conversations about my sexuality.
superhex12345@reddit
No a couple is two. A few is more than a couple.
Niro5@reddit
If I mean two, I say two. If I mean about two, I say a couple.
Firefly_Magic@reddit
No.
Couple means 2.
Few means 3 sometimes more but a small amount.
Several means 4 or more but usually less than 10
What___Do@reddit
Some people do, and I dislike them for it.
Curious-Cranberry-27@reddit
No. Because a couple means two.
DadPuncher69@reddit
Yes when I say it it means a few. Like if I tell my wife I'm leaving work in a couple of minutes, it means I'm leaving work in a few minutes.
KartFacedThaoDien@reddit
If I said " I have a couple of junked up cars in my back yard." It could mean more than two. The key is "a couple of. "
Many_Voice_287@reddit
A couple, means 2. Period.
DannyDanumba@reddit
“I’m a couple of minutes away” = 2-5 minutes
“Get us a couple of drinks” = at least one for everyone present
(When ordering something) “I need a couple” = 2
In short, hell nah 😂
dealers_choice@reddit
Typically yes but if something is said like "it'll just be a couple of minutes" it could be more.
Smart_Engine_3331@reddit
I've heard some people do, but for me, it's always meant 2.
THE_CENTURION@reddit
Yes, absolutely.
AffectionateMode5349@reddit
More than two is a few.
beamerpook@reddit
It does mean exactly 2, in common usage it means a few. Like "I'll be there in a couple of minutes" doesn't mean you will literally be there in 2 minutes.
knerr57@reddit
A couple is always two. Three is a few. Four or five is a handful, 6-11 is several. Twelve is a dozen. Thirteen to 100 is a bunch or dozens. 100-2000 is a lot. 200-2199 is a fuckton. 2200 is a metric fuck ton. Any more and it’s an ass load.
HareWarriorInTheDark@reddit
Yes I'm a native speaker and to me if you say "a couple of" it means "several". I don't know if it's regional, but I find people who get caught up on couple == 2 to be incredibly pedantic.
SummitJunkie7@reddit
couple = two
I'll be there in a couple minutes = I'll be there in two minutes
But it's as likely to be accurate as - I'll be there in a minute, or in a second, or I'm already on my way...
rutherfraud1876@reddit
Yes but I wish people didn't
Silly_Animator@reddit
In the context you used it yes. It can mean more than 2. When I hear it used it usually is meant to say a small amount rather than an actual number. I guess it depends who you talk to .
iswrtut6@reddit
In my area, yes. I remember being like 10 years old and realizing it didn’t make sense.
Eff-Bee-Exx@reddit
I’ve never understood it to mean anything other than two. The example you gave is, as you guessed, just casual speech. Same with “in a minute,” which usually means some short amount of time which is almost never exactly 60 seconds.
BackgroundPublic2529@reddit
No