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14th August 2008, 9:48am
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#16 | | (suicidemachine)
Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Too large
Posts: 17,866
| Re: Couple
. Quote: |
bring two objects, ideas, or people together;
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14th August 2008, 9:50am
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#17 | | I hate your band SuperMod
Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Slacktivism
Posts: 33,966
| Re: Couple
Aye, from the verb: To couple.
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The interval between birth and death is fractal. Any given moment is infinitely deep and rich, and therefore one lifetime is quite enough for me. | 
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14th August 2008, 9:50am
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#18 | | Better not to err
Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Glesgae
Posts: 28,739
| Re: Couple
And yet its alternate (and admittedly informal) meaning has been in use for hundreds of years.
Dictionary, get to it. | |
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14th August 2008, 9:51am
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#19 | | The Omnipotent Jellyfish
Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Bridie Land
Posts: 2,563
| Re: Couple
A couple is 2
A threesome is 3
An orgy is 4 or more | |
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14th August 2008, 9:52am
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#20 | | I hate your band SuperMod
Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Slacktivism
Posts: 33,966
| Re: Couple
Nah, four is wife-swapping. You need five or more for an orgy.
__________________
The interval between birth and death is fractal. Any given moment is infinitely deep and rich, and therefore one lifetime is quite enough for me. | |
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14th August 2008, 9:52am
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#21 | | The Omnipotent Jellyfish
Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Bridie Land
Posts: 2,563
| Re: Couple
What if it's you and 3 burds? | |
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14th August 2008, 9:55am
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#22 | | I hate your band SuperMod
Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Slacktivism
Posts: 33,966
| Re: Couple
Foursome?
Otherwise known as ‘lucky bastard’.
__________________
The interval between birth and death is fractal. Any given moment is infinitely deep and rich, and therefore one lifetime is quite enough for me. | |
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14th August 2008, 9:55am
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#23 | | You look lovely today. SuperMod
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 14,710
| Re: Couple
Who cares what it's called? You've got 3 burds. | |
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14th August 2008, 9:56am
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#24 | | The Omnipotent Jellyfish
Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Bridie Land
Posts: 2,563
| Re: Couple
...but the point is that a couple is 2 and no more. | |
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14th August 2008, 9:58am
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#25 | | I hate your band SuperMod
Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Slacktivism
Posts: 33,966
| Re: Couple
Zing!
__________________
The interval between birth and death is fractal. Any given moment is infinitely deep and rich, and therefore one lifetime is quite enough for me. | |
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14th August 2008, 9:58am
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#26 | | Better not to err
Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Glesgae
Posts: 28,739
| Re: Couple
Zing my black ass, READ A DICTIONARY.
When an informal meaning for a word has been in the dictionary for my entire life (And apparently for a couple of hundred years.) I think you can consider it acceptable in all but the most formal sense. | |
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14th August 2008, 10:00am
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#27 | | bordeebarbushbarbon Editor
SuperMod
Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Dundee
Posts: 17,369
| Re: Couple
Quote:
Originally Posted by MarkMono  Scientific terms in informal use just seem fundamentally wrong to you, don't they? | Well, I say "a couple of pints" when I mean an indefinite number of pints all the time.
It doesn't seem "wrong" to me, it's just not the formal definition of the word. It's an informality.
Like, if someone asked the definition of "literally", I wouldn't say "almost", "exaggeratedly" or "metaphorically", even though those are common informal meanings.
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"What... is a 'gay'"? - Jacque "Jacque" Liverot | |
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14th August 2008, 10:03am
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#28 | | Better not to err
Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Glesgae
Posts: 28,739
| Re: Couple
Heh, only if you're being deliberately sardonic, or its opposite day. | |
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14th August 2008, 10:05am
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#29 | | bordeebarbushbarbon Editor
SuperMod
Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Dundee
Posts: 17,369
| Re: Couple
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.
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"What... is a 'gay'"? - Jacque "Jacque" Liverot | |
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14th August 2008, 10:07am
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#30 | | Better not to err
Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Glesgae
Posts: 28,739
| Re: Couple
Its worth pointing out that the initial post doesn't ask for a formal definition. | |
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