Couple

jyhad · 14th August 2008, 9:36am

Help me out here please.

Which statement is correct?

1. A couple means 2

2. A couple means 2 or 2+

Largest of Gregs · 14th August 2008, 9:38am

wit?

a couple is 2

MarkMono · 14th August 2008, 9:39am

'A couple of days' just means a few, so its the latter, though only the former applies in scientific terms.

*LesMTS* · 14th August 2008, 9:39am

A couple means two of something or other.

Old Man · 14th August 2008, 9:39am

A couple is 2, a few is 3+, as I understand it anyway.
Omm

jyhad · 14th August 2008, 9:39am

When you go for a couple of pints how many is that?

Old Man · 14th August 2008, 9:40am

That's entirely different.
Omm

MarkMono · 14th August 2008, 9:40am

Intead of just arguing about what particular associations each of us have with the word, I'd recommend getting up and going to check a dictionary.

Informally 'a couple' can be used to mean more than two but not by much.

*LesMTS* · 14th August 2008, 9:44am

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyhad

When you go for a couple of pints how many is that?

Edit: beaten by Mark

Exit_W0unds · 14th August 2008, 9:44am

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyhad

When you go for a couple of pints how many is that?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old Man

That's entirely different.
Omm

This is very true. A couple of pints is NEVER (or at least 98% of the time) just two if it's guys off out for a drink. If its a man and woman out to drink together I've found that a couple really is a couple of drinks.

jyhad · 14th August 2008, 9:45am

For years I thought a couple was two or two plus but last night I had nine people swear that it meant two and two alone venturing that a couple generally refered to two people. The only context any of them could think of when a couple meant two plus was when they were going for 'a couple of pints'. I agree if Im talking about people then a couple just means two but when Im talking about things it can mean two or two plus. It also works for units of time i.e. a couple of hours can mean the whole afternoon.

MarkMono · 14th August 2008, 9:46am

Folks, read a dictionary.

Quote:

Originally Posted by LesMTS

Informally, it could mean an indefinite number.

Heh, you sound like such a scientist, I could've told you exactly how you'd have answered this question.

Scientific terms in informal use just seem fundamentally wrong to you, don't they?

**GreatKingRat** · 14th August 2008, 9:48am

Start using 'pair' instead of 'couple'.

"You coming for a pair of pints?"

Try it, see what happens.

*LesMTS* · 14th August 2008, 9:48am

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyhad

For years I thought a couple was two or two plus but last night I had nine people swear that it meant two and two alone venturing that a couple generally refered to two people. The only context any of them could think of when a couple meant two plus was when they were going for 'a couple of pints'. I agree if Im talking about people then a couple just means two but when Im talking about things it can mean two or two plus. It also works for units of time i.e. a couple of hours can mean the whole afternoon.

You and your friends are getting confused over the formal meaning of the word and the informal use of the word.

poprock · 14th August 2008, 9:48am

As Les says, rubbish. A couple always means two.

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.