Quote:
Originally Posted by poprock  When folk talk about going for ‘a couple of pints’ they mean two, but then get carried away and stay for more. Informal usage means they know in advance they are likely to stay for more, but they say a couple. same for your ‘couple of hours’ example. |
I dunno, if I say "a couple of pints" I almost always mean some indefinite small number. I guess I use "couple of pints" as an idiom for a leisurely, relaxed visit to the pub, rather than a bender.
A "couple of hours", though, I'd usually use to mean "approximately two hours". I wouldn't say a "couple of hours" if I really believed it would be closer to one or three hours.
