February 22, 2012
-
It doesn’t take a Genius… or does it??
“I’ll take a slice of toast”
“just one?”
“well, you know what, give me a couple slices”
“how many?”
“a couple…?”
“what, two, three slices?”
“No! Just a couple!”A “couple” to just about everyone I’ve ever met equals two. A couple of pieces, a couple of cars, a couple of windows, a couple of idiots etc… When you refer to something being “coupled” it is joining TWO parts together, when you talk about a dating “couple” you are talking about two people romantically involved. What is it about asking for a “couple” of something that forces certain people to disconnect the word with it’s meaning?
I’ll continue with the toast comparison:
“I’ll have a slice of toast”
-a slice of toast, not only implies, but directly states that I’d like ONE slice of toast. I’ve never had a problem with this request.
“may I have a couple slices of toast?”
-This is where some people are confused, and I don’t understand it at all, they request that I clarify what a “couple” means!
THIS IS A COUPLE:
“Maybe I’ll have a few slices of toast”
-NOW you can ask me to clarify! A “FEW” is anything MORE than one but in a small quantity.
Any of the above can be considered a “few” as they are all “more than one but in a small quantity”
I don’t understand why I have this endless conversation with people, it doesn’t make any logical sense!
Have you ever had a problem with this or is it just me???????
Comments (34)
I never had a conversation like that before but . . .. yeahhh people should know the difference between one, a couple, and a few. Not unless their native language makes no difference between singular and plural nouns.
I just kind of let it slide.
I’ve had this conversation, but only because my husband will say, “I just want a couple, three slices.” I do feel compelled to ask for further clarification at that point. It just seems like he’s asking for both two and three. Here’s the fun part:
Me: Say what? Two or three?
Him: What did I say?
Me: A couple, three…does that mean two or three? It sounds like both.
Him: I said a couple.
Me: Then you said three.
Him: Then I want three.
Me: You sure?
Him: Two is fine.
Me: *face palm*
@ZombieMom_Speaks - sounds like you’re from PA
*sigh* why does couple always incur a relationship side of a conversation. Coupling joints, Couple slices of toast… A couple bowls of cereal.
This begs the question about “I’m having a couple people over later” does this imply you have invited exactly 2 friends over?
@Thatslifekid - yeah, it would mean two, if it meant more I’d say “I’m having a few people over”
@justfinethanku - Close – Maryland.
Anything larger then five is not a few. Five is a handful anything more is too much
so it go’s single, couple, a few, a handful, and a bunch. lol
Have you been hiding out in my kitchen?
I am sure it is just you… just you
I’m pretty sure 6 slices of toast is more than a few, while six kernels of popcorn may be considered a few. So it’s even more confusing. I have, also, heard the expression, “a couple three,” If somebody asks me for that many, I give them however many I want them to have!
Just say “I’ll have just the one twice”
I’m glad you’re addressing this. I mean, when you refer to a couple that you see on the street you mean TWO people that you saw together. No brainer! You’re right!!
I have had this problem but it wasn’t about toast.
It was instilled in me when I was about six, that a “couple” ALWAYS means two, as does a “pair”-i.e. “What kind of idiot goes around wearing ONE shoe”. A “few” means a small amount, greater than two, but less than, say, a hundred. These are things any adult can teach any child.
I get what you are saying but….. I can’t break the habit. I get so pissed when I hold out my hand and ask for a couple m&ms and you give me exactly two.
I hear a common phrase in Wisconsin and I think it’s a common form of counting but I’ve never heard it anywhere said like here. “I’ll take a couple, two, three.” It drives me nuts.
Hahaha!! Why can’y we just have 1 frickin’ piece of toast?!
well I learned English as a second language and the teacher said, just like the dictionary, that “a couple of” means either “zwei” (=two) “ein Paar” or “einige”. “Paar” is also the German word for couple (like a married couple), but “ein paar” doesn’t define a precise number, just like “einige”. It only implies that it’s at least two, so I would translate these two expressions with “some” or “a few”, but “a couple” according to you would not be incorrect because it CAN be two, but I always found it confusing, because it isn’t exactly the same either actually. Apparently. I don’t know why people would use such a long expression anyway, it’s a lot easier to just say “a” or “two” or “some”. I think they are indecisive.
Yeah it’s you.
@Thatslifekid - If you say “a couple of people” you are inexact if you mean less or more than 2. But… if it is your party, who cares? It is YOUR choice, right?
If you’re a fatty, a couple = 3
lol, generally no. But, I know what you mean. It’s kinda funny… lol.
this is nearly a daily argument I have with my sister…
@ZombieMom_Speaks - lol this made me laugh.
@ZombieMom_Speaks - haha my mom says a couple three too. she grew up in North Dakota. technically a couple three should mean six if i assume the preposition *of* has been removed but still implied.
then there was republican representative from Iowa John Kyl’s statement on the floor of the House that abortion is well over 90% of what Planned Parenthood does. when called out he said he didn’t mean “over 90%” as a factual statement. the number is actual 3%. i pity the person having to take his order at a diner.
wow weird! I think a few is confusing–two, three, four, how many? But a slice is one slice! Though it’s not something to be upset about^ ^ Sometimes waiters just like to make sure, maybe. Hehe I dunno!
No wonder some folks get snockered on “just a couple” of drinks.
Technically…according to Merriam Webster, ‘couple’ can mean an indefinite small number: few
But no, I have never argued with anyone about it.
I dunno.. but I do know I want one of those six slice toasters now.
Funny how the meaning of a particular word gets lost over time.
When someone tells me, “There are a couple of people here,” I always think of more than just two people (and that’s what the person probably meant too).
I used to work at a restaurant, and when a guest asks me for a couple more chairs at the table,I always bring 2 plus 1 more on the side–just in case. Never know what people really mean anymore nowadays!
I had this problem once at a Denny’s. I asked the waitress for a couple of slices of toast and all she gave me was a toast sliced in four sections.
Other than that, I like how you think !
all.the.time. If I buy a pack of Oreos, I let my husband know. He’ll say, “Give me a couple.” I say, “A couple is 2″ Then he’ll tell me he wants 5. It is one of those things that absolutely drives me crazy. I only say, “A couple is 2″ because he used to say give me a couple, and I’d bring 2 and he’d get mad.
LOL–unfortunately, it’s not just you.
As others have stated, the numerics of ‘couple’ vary, both by the item being counted and by the geographic linguistics. Time change, and I’ve had to admit that “a couple lovebirds parked down there off the entrance to the Schulkill” today may well be three, with the bi-sexual one usually sitting in the middle. Oy.
Your post here sets a new standard for the model: ‘So what’s the deal with…?’ Bravo.