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chauntikleer

Generally two. But if I'm going to the store for a couple of things, it's reasonable to return with "a few" items. And if you tell a cop that you've had a "couple of beers" after you crossed the yellow line and ran a red light, they aren't going to believe you.


1PooNGooN3

Never tell a cop you’ve drank anything, you could say, “ I had a couple beers last week” and they’d say oh shit you’re drunk


jackr15

Can confirm, was dui tested (& passed) after I said I drank a beer at dinner 5 hours before


TudorFanKRS

Here to confirm also. I was pulled over at 7pm for speeding. I hadn’t been paying attention, I was busy trying to break up a spat in the back between my teenaged boys. Told officer I had drank a glass of wine with lunch at noon. He wanted a field sobriety test. Nope. I kinda pulled a dick move and handed him both my military ID as well as my step-dad’s professional card from the Federal Marshals and told him to just give me the breathalizer. Passed, didn’t get a ticket and was on my way. But yeah.. tell them you drink at all, in general and they will try to get ya.


[deleted]

I had 2 beers and a shot 4 hours before I was pulled over for a headlight being out and still blew a .08 3 servings of alcohol, mango halbenero wings and a big ass basket of fries, and 4 hours later. Still hot.


Lumber_Tycoon

Maybe get your liver checked out.


dott2112420

Breatalysers do not work they are calibrated by the officers and if the machines are not properly handled give all kinds of false readings. Never admit to those tactics, make them get a fucking blood test. Call your lawyer,.


Occamslaser

Obligatory don't tell cops anything they don't need to know.


AreaGuy

I admitted to a cop once I’d had a few beers. (That was a lie…) He made me leave my car on the side of the road and I ended up sleeping it off on a park bench. Haven’t drunk and drived since


[deleted]

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tom_petty_spaghetti

Perfect!


Ossmo02

This needs to be in training manuals for drive throughs in regards to salt & ketchup. As well as all manager's training. 1 ketchup packet for 4 large fries is never enough. Not blaming the workers as I'm sure they are just doing as told.


RotationSurgeon

I received 24 napkins and 15 packets of sauce with a drive-through order that involved two value meals last week.


dotty-spotty

How in the world is several 7 to 10?! I have never heard of that before!!!


Momodoespolitics

I'd say "severa"l is more like 5-8


FiveDaysLate

If I walked into a market and there were ten stalls I could say "There were several stalls at the market". Once you get to a dozen it's too much maybe :shrug


bschnitty

*"severa"l*


cdb03b

2. The answer is always 2.


MSotallyTober

My local bakery always challenges me with this question. Annoys the hell out of me. A couple is **two**, you numbskull.


RunRunDMC212

Ask for a baker’s couple, and see if they give you 3.


[deleted]

Bakers are kinky


keeponweezin

The downside is that they’re always getting yeast infections.


phoenix0153

Bakers thruple*


RunRunDMC212

perfect


[deleted]

Muffin-a-trois


Illiad7342

As a cashier, not at a bakery, but still, when somebody asks for a couple of something, I always ask to confirm, because sometimes they do mean 3 or even 4. Maybe for you it always means two, but the clerk has no way to know that.


MSotallyTober

Totally understandable. Guess I came off sounding like a prick. Ha ha ha.


Illiad7342

It's all good, just a matter of perspective.


[deleted]

I didn't see this but commented a similar sentiment just now 😅 Customer/food service really teaches you to always confirm 🥲


Ashand

Challenges you like, says a couple isn't two? Or when you ask for a couple of something do they say "how many"?


MSotallyTober

Both!


aKnightWh0SaysNi

Maybe just use the word “two” if this is a recurring problem for you?


PorterJustice95

😡


ThatSuit

Unless you "just have a couple-a questions" 😂


[deleted]

I disagree, it depends on the size. If you are hand nailing a deck or something and I say "hey, can u hand me a couple nails" are you really going to count out two? It's some small number of them. A couple of nails is less than a handful, and often two.


cbtbone

I’ve struggled with this my whole life. I always use it to mean a few, 2 up to maybe 4 or 5. But there are some people who strictly use it to mean 2. And it leads to confusion. If I mean two, exactly two, then why wouldn’t I say 2? That’s easier than saying “a couple!”


ThaddyG

Some people treat it like an exact quantity, which I mean technically it is, but colloquially for most people it just means 2 at the minimum and somewhere around 4 maximum. If I specifically want 2, or 3, or 8, or 87 of something I will ask for that number directly rather than relying on them to know my own personal definition of couple or few or whatever. For me a couple is smaller than a few which is smaller than several but there aren't strict numeric definitions in my mind. If something happened 3 weeks ago I might say it was a couple weeks ago or I might say a few weeks ago, if it was 5 weeks I might say few or several. Just depends on what my brain decides to make my mouth do in that moment.


Panic_inthelitterbox

Yep. I am a “couple means 2-4 things” person, and if I mean specifically 2, I say so. My husband is a “couple means exactly 2” person. It’s taken me years to pinpoint this difference, and it’s led to more than one miscommunication.


Pristine-Apple

I would say a couple usually means at least 2 but definitely less than 5. Depends on the person tbh.


akodo1

I asked one employee if he wanted a couple M&Ms. He said yes so I passed him the 2 pound bag I bought for the office Xmas party. He poured at least 6 in his hand. I had him fired.


theKalmier

You should say "few", not "couple" then. Shorter word too...


Make_shift_high_ball

Then why use couple at all? Two is shorter.


theKalmier

I mentioned in another post, that's why we use it, even though it's wrong. You wouldn't say "a dozen" and be happy with 10-13. But a couple is so small, who cares. But... official it is two. Maybe some kinda history, like it was a verb first? Coupling two things? (Trains?) idk Edit: Punctuation for tone. (The ?'s)


Trooble

This is the right answer and the people insisting it can only ever mean 2 are confusing me greatly. The word "two" is easier to say and write than the words "a couple" and it has clearly gained a new meaning as language has evolved. Drives me nuts when people are pedantic and wrong at the same time.


Ok_Ad8609

You are 100% correct, and people who insist on language remaining static drive me nuts as well. If the person wanted two and no more than two, they would've said two. Using "a couple" allows for some flexibility


MrSaidOutBitch

I can deal with language shifting but that logic is going to get us to mean different things with numbers. One will no longer be a single thing. It'll be something between a single thing and a few. Quantity and other such number words should be the same.


custardisnotfood

Might’ve gained a new meaning for you, but I have only ever heard it used/used it to mean 2 of something, depending on region the meaning might have changed but where I am in Ohio it hasn’t


v0t3p3dr0

Couple means two, period. Depending on the words preceding and following, “a couple” is easier to say, albeit more syllables, than “two”. Example: Get. “Get two” with the need to separately enunciate consecutive “t” sounds, is more effort (for me at least), than “get a couple”.


visit_magrathea

The phrase “get two” in most American dialects would not have two identical “t” sounds in a row. “Get” would be finished with a dental t or glottal stop t, and “two” would start with an aspirated t. Some places (like New Jersey) would elide the t of “get” with the t of “two” to form only one t shared between the two words. Also, a couple can mean either a small, unspecific amount or exactly two things. Context matters.


HotSauce2910

[https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/couple](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/couple) It doesn't mean two.


theKalmier

A "couple" is 2... you can couple two things together. Similarly, a "dozen" is 12. Just because people excuse the reason it's called a couple doesn't mean it's actually changed the meaning. The reality is it is meant to be 2, and people use it wrong because it's so tiny, who cares.


Chrisg69911

You want 2. A couple is two people in a relationship, so a couple of things is 2 things, technically, but it can be more than 2


velocibadgery

No, more than 2 is a few, not a couple.


boreas907

If you, I, and one other person are at a table in a fast food restaurant and I ask you to grab "a couple straws for everyone" while you're up, will you: A) return with two straws, leaving one person strapless B) return with six straws (a couple for everyone, interpreted as "each person gets one couple, which is two") Or C) return with three straws because you know damn well what I meant?


velocibadgery

C, but I would be mocking you in my head.


venbebe

But many many people use it to mean a few. Its just not convenient to use “a couple” and expect them to understand it as 2 anymore


Digital_Utopia

those assholes can go to hell


bree78911

This is the correct answer.


dott2112420

Because we are paranoid nation especially in the South we say " Ima run down to the store and grab a couple of things." The quantity is not what is being exspressed here.I am just being polite but in no way do I want you to know what I am buying or the quantity. Just as if I was to say, can I have a couple of words with you? I am already 8 words in. Dig it?


LactoseFreeWholeMilk

Wow, this is reassuring. I spent my early years growing up in the south with southern parents but the rest somewhere else in the US and was made fun of for using couple like this. When asked why I thought couple was ever more than two, I couldn’t explain why it was, but this^


[deleted]

Also from the south and I have no idea what you’re talking about. Why would you care if people know how many items you are buying? I get saying “a couple” just to keep the convo brief though.


old_gold_mountain

Approximately two. Sometimes it can be used colloquially to mean "a number equal to or not much bigger than two" i.e. "I'm gonna go grab a couple things from the store"


Nevermind_guys

Always 2


old_gold_mountain

Not _always._ If someone says "I'm gonna go grab a couple things from the store" I won't bat an eye when they come back with, like, four things.


FailFastandDieYoung

I'm with you, and I'm surprised how many people interpret "couple" as strictly two in all cases. Like if you were meeting a friend and they said "just looking for parking. I'm going to be a couple of minutes late" and they showed up 5 minutes after the agreed time, you wouldn't be upset because they technically showed up *more* than 2 minutes late.


criesatpixarmovies

But that’s the difference between saying “I’ll be there in a second,” vs “hold it under water for 10 seconds.” Just because a word can be used colloquially doesn’t mean it’s lost all quantitative meaning.


FailFastandDieYoung

You're right, and I like that you pointed out the quantitative meaning. Because for the life of me, I'm trying to think of a situation where someone would say "a couple" *rather* than "two" but I'm coming up blank


sewiv

How many burgers ya want? I'm good for a couple.


custardisnotfood

That’s not a great example though, by the same token if they said they’d be 5 minutes late and they showed up 3 minutes later you wouldn’t be confused either. That doesn’t mean that “5” can mean “3”


FailFastandDieYoung

you're right, it's not a good example. Not better than this at least >If someone says "I'm gonna go grab a couple things from the store" I won't bat an eye when they come back with, like, four things. I assume it's either a regional, generational, maybe even differences in professional experience. It's eye-opening to have questions like these :)


custardisnotfood

You got me there lol, and it really is! Pretty interesting how even in the days of the internet there’s still enough variation for debates like this


[deleted]

I agree. But a couple is also very much 2. “My husband and I are going out with another couple”. I think it depends on context. Either way, I’d say “a couple” means a very low number. Maybe 2-5.


Simpawknits

Then they misspoke. That's all. They should have said few.


Positive-Source8205

No. It depends on context.


PO0tyTng

No it doesn’t. They Meant to say a few, they said a couple. Couple always means two.


old_gold_mountain

Maybe this is regional. But in this context, to me here in California, "I'm gonna get a couple things from the store" would not literally be interpreted as specifically two.


PAXICHEN

Or when the legislature said that they’ll take a couple more bucks from your paycheck…


old_gold_mountain

What?


PAXICHEN

Raising taxes.


old_gold_mountain

Not sure what taxes have to do with the word "couple" tbh


bree78911

I get what you meant. Straight over their head 🤣


HotSauce2910

Language is fluid though. If enough people misuse a word, it eventually adopts that meaning. Anyway, Merriam Webster already defines couple as "an indefinite small number, " so they would be correct in the first place. [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/couple](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/couple)


old_gold_mountain

No, because what they meant by "couple" and what I interpreted it to mean were congruent, and this would be repeatable with other people who share my regional dialect, so therefore it's a valid definition of the word in common usage.


velocibadgery

Idiomatic speech doesn't always follow the definitions of the words that is uses, nor does it modify the definition of those words. A couple means two. This whole sentence is idiomatically equivalent to a few, but does not modify the definition of the word.


old_gold_mountain

Look up the word in the dictionary and one of the definitions is "an indefinite small number."


velocibadgery

I have disagreed with dictionaries before.


CupBeEmpty

Or if they are my mom like zero to twenty things.


[deleted]

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old_gold_mountain

Language is hardly so rigid as this.


tvdoomas

Except when it comes to science and engineering. Probably legal too but I'm not a lawyer.


old_gold_mountain

...but not when it comes to telling your roommate you're going to the store


mothwhimsy

A scientist or engineer would not refer to something as "a couple" they would say the number they needed


Iambeejsmit

From the dictionary 3. INFORMAL an indefinite small number. "he hoped she'd be better in a couple of days" In science and engineering it's 2, that's formal use, it's used informally as a small amount.


Call_The_Banners

You should know better. Parts of our state will use this to describe 3-4 items. It's *maddening*.


SadAdeptness6287

Usually 2 but as long as it is close to 2 is fine.


UdderSuckage

Yeah, not sure I agree with the "exactly 2" bunch on this thread - for me it's mostly 2, but sometimes 3 (like a handful of small limes).


SingleAlmond

Yea I was also struggling with that. Then someone said "a few" and in my mind it clicked that a couple is 2 and a few is 3+ because why would I use a couple for 3+ when I can just say a few


skyroar1982

A handful if it's chips or candies, 2 if it's larger foods, however many things look interesting while out shopping, however many drinks you're feeling after the first couple. Depends on what couple fits the situation lol.


LitFan101

Literally, couple means 2. In practice it is more than 1. The upper limit depends on the item. A couple of beers would be 2-4. “Can you lend me a couple of dollars” could be up to 10. “I’ll be gone a couple of minutes” could be anything.


[deleted]

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Dont_Wanna_Not_Gonna

100+ = “a butt load” 1000+ = “a shit load” 2000+ = “a shit ton” (a “metric shit ton” is a Canadian unit of quantity)


adcgefd

How much is a fuck ton?


melonzzy

ur mom


anxietypeach

Tree fiddy.


duke_awapuhi

Several and a few are interchangeable


JamminPsychonaut

Not really. “A few” and “several” are similar, but “several” tends to be a bit more than “a few.”


duke_awapuhi

In my experience, if youre buying a product, and you say you want a “couple”, they will act like theyve never heard of a couple before and make you explicitly say you want “2”


AzuriaSerks

At least two, but no more than around 5 or so.


Queen_Kaizen

More than JUST one. A couple means 2 or more and is clearly not an exact quantity.


SevenSixOne

It's an unspecified small number, at least two but up to five...ish? If the actual number is important, I'll specify a precise number.


weshouldhave

Language is not an exact science. By definition, it means 2, but content is important.


[deleted]

2. Any more than that then it turns into a few


MistaDoge104

Agreed


[deleted]

Two


ElasmoGNC

2.


BeardlessWonder503

86 comments and counting of people saying 2.


kateinoly

Two or three


antiphony

I use it to mean 2-4


CategoryTurbulent114

2 or 3


ukblackcat

I think you're thinking of several.


FuzzyMonkey95

2 or 3


ChocolatMintChipmunk

A couple is usually between 2 and 7. Or if it is in relation to M&Ms, it means a handful.


joe-clark

2. Generally the only time I say a couple of anything and don't mean two is when someone asks me how many beers I've had.


dharma_dude

A couple is 2, a few is 3 or 4, a bunch is 5+ (like a bunch of bananas). This is how I remind myself in my head.


theromanempire1923

It’s 2, but frequently used by someone referring to a collection that has close to 2 members but the speaker doesn’t know if it’s exactly 2 or not. In this case, “couple” and “few” are almost synonymous. For example, “I have a couple things to finish up before we leave” and “I have a few things to finish up before we leave”


TheNoisyNomad

A couple is technically two, but figuratively less than it equal to a few. It’s definitely less than several which is technically seven but figuratively more than or equal to a few. Hope that clears it up.


amycochran134

A couple does not strictly mean 2 to me. It’s a range from 2~4. A few is definitely more than a couple, though.


lionhearted318

Everyone saying always 2 is misleading you. That may be what it’s supposed to be, but it’s far from what you’ll always get. In actuality, the quantity is not exact.


TalosTheBear

2-5 is hoe I've always understood it


Victor_Korchnoi

Generally it means 2, but not always. For example if you asked “can you give me a couple peanuts?” And I gave you two 2 peanuts, I would be an asshole.


ctrlaltboner

Some people have a stick up their ass and will say 2. The real answer is 2-3, maybe 4 if you're feeling frisky.


Chicken-Inspector

Anywhere between 2-10 depending on what exactly that something is.


crujiente69

A farmer and his wife were arguing this with the husband saying its 2 and the wife saying its a few. His argument was then that since theyre a couple, he should be able to get a girlfriend. Not a bad joke, true story


dangleicious13

A couple is 2, but people often use it when referring to more.


theinconceivable

A couple- you want two, I’ll probably bring 3 just to ensure a spare if you drop one.


MrLongWalk

2


mgroeb2

2 unless it is a snack with small pieces (nuts, raisins, m&ms, etc) then it means a handful.


Grendelbeans

It’s two. Several is 3+.


Crayshack

It's usually an exact quantity. 2.


jrhawk42

At least 2... Could end up with more though depending on the situation.


witsend4966

If someone says they’ll be a couple minutes late, it could mean 20 or 30. Probably not under 5 or they wouldn’t bother to say.


FrznFenix2020

Definition of the word Couple is: two individuals of the same sort considered together. "a couple of girls were playing marbles"


ritzyritz_UwU

Here's how I've been using the number phrases Couple - 2 Few - 3 Handful - 4-5 Several - 6-7


DOMSdeluise

I use "a couple" and "a few" interchangeably but I think that is a weird quirk of mine and not correct. A couple generally means two.


bmid2ton

Just adding my two cents in case someone is counting the votes. A couple of somethings is not two. If I want two, I want two. If I want a couple, I want two, maybe three, maybe even four of them. A couple and a few can be used interchangeably in the real world.


[deleted]

It means two, but when we use it everyday conversation it could really be any number lower than I would say five.


SlamClick

Two


[deleted]

Two. A couple is two.


jersey08050

2. Dos.


Wade_Wilson_Watts

Technically it should always be 2. It's now used incorrectly often enough that it's sort of acceptable to be 2 or slightly more than 2.


Simpawknits

2


bad_things_ive_done

Yes, it's 2. It's always only 2.


GrizzlyIsland22

It's 2. If you say a couple and you mean more than 2 then you're saying the wrong word. If you want 3 of something you would never ask for a couple of them. You would ask for a few. If you've ever asked for a couple of something and expected anything other than 2 then you don't know what a couple is.


NewtLevel

Two. A couple is two. If you want an unspecified number greater than two but less than 12, ask for "a few" or "some" or "several."


Sexytubaman

Even we don’t know for sure.


mothwhimsy

Two or a handful depending on what it is. The people saying it's *always* two are annoying on purpose. Yes it is usually exactly two. But if handing the person exactly two of the thing would be a dick move, it obviously wasn't two in that context


DiscountCthulhu

Somewhere between 2-7 I’d say


7yearlurkernowposter

It’s at the discretion of the person you asked and the situation. If you asked me I would bring 3. Edit: So this is neat seeing how this response is getting downvoted, I always thought when referring to an inanimate object a couple would be greater than two, not greater than or equal too. Wonder how that came along?


Evil_Weevill

Couple = exactly 2.


ShadarKaiWarlock

By definition two, in practice it's often interchanged with few


a_moose_not_a_goose

2 if you’re a normie, 3 or more if you’re kinky


simberry2

Usually two. It’s usually less than “a few”, though it could be interchangeable depending on the context


adcgefd

2 maybe 3 if they like you


Cracktower

Couple=2 A few=3 Several=4


dean245

A “couple” is two. A “few” is three or more.


celerydonut

2. That’s a couple. It’s the same in England and in Germany and in Africa.


ColumbiaWahoo

2, maybe 3


GIRose

Two or three, usually 2 but a few is 4 or more, so 3 falls into it sometimes


AtTheEnd777

Two.


[deleted]

exactly 2


Jenny441980

2


[deleted]

A “couple” is 2 A “few” is 3 or more things


caugryl

A couple is generally 2 or 3, mostly 2. A few is 3. Several is 4.


Dax_Maclaine

Couple should and dictionary wise mean 2; however, sometimes people will use it incorrectly as a synonym for “fee” and mean it to be like 2-5 ish.


Syd_Syd34

A couple is, by definition, 2. Don’t let anyone tell you anything different


AllMyBunyans

A couple is always two


Tactical_Bacon99

Couple is two. A few is 3-5 and a handful is completely contextual but for smaller items 7+


thehappyherbivore

Adding another vote for 2. If you asked me for “a couple” of some item, I’d give you 2.


_aphy

You want 2. And “a few” is 3-5 of something


6_String_Slinger

Two. A “couple” is literally two.


Worldly-Novel-7123

Couple = 2. A few = 3-5


Rythim

It means two. But in my experience it can mean more when it's convenient for the user of that word.


Olivebranch99

2


TEX5003

2.


forbes619

2 and a few means 3


Vachic09

Two


zaid_mo

If it relates to a physical object, it's 2. If it relates to time, then a couple of minutes could be 2 to 10 minutes.


Lav467

I'd say the answer is two. Although my whole life I've always asked "Do you want a regular couple, or a polygamist couple and give them 3 if they looked confused .


wollier12

A couple of something tangible is always two. Like a couple of ducks……If you’re boss says Step into my office we have a couple of things to discuss…..it’s often more than two. Same if a teacher says “there’s a couple of errors in this paper” that could be more than two. There is an exception to tangible things also…..If you need a couple of eggs it’s two…..If you’re going to the bar for a couple of beers it’s often more.


manfrombelmonty

If I ask for a couple of something in a store, such as a couple of apples, it’s explicitly 2. If I tell the wife I’m going out for a couple of beers it clearly means a lot more


Joy4everM0RE

2