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Anonymous Posted 21 years ago
Grammar

a couple of

a couple of: The meaning is "two"? or "a few, more than two"? Thank you very much.
  

Top answer

It literally means two, but it can also mean a small number that is more than one.

— Vorpar

  • It literally means two, but it can also mean a small number that is more than one.
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10 Answers
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It literally means two, but it can also mean a small number that is more than one.
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Also, usually if the number is three or four, people will say "a few."
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Anonymousa couple of: The meaning is "two"? or "a few, more than two"? Thank you very much.
Some times, people in the hot seat (politicians) will use the term to minimize what they know to be more. "Unfortunately, there were a couple of things that went wrong ."
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0Is there any way I could tell when couple means 2 and when it means a few?02br
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00taken from longman dictionary1 a couple02br
00a) two things or people of the same kind02br
00a couple of 02br
00There are a couple of girls waiting for you.02br
00b) a small number of things:02br
00I just need to make a couple more
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0 01blockquote
01cite10Magic7912cite10And by the way, I asked a British speaker about if "couple" could mean more than two to which he answered with "No." I dont understand why he seemed to be unaware of the second meaning of "a couple of."12br
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10You should've asked about the meaning of "a couple of" AND give
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0Yes Marius!You are right.02br
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00But do you know how anyone could tell if "a couple of" means two or more!!!?02br
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00I have a feeling that the answer for the meaning of "a couple of" is only in the speaker's mind. Thus, if somone says:02br
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00- A couple of girls are waiting for you outside.02br
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00Th
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0 ------02br
00 The noun couple has 5 meanings:02br
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01font00 Meaning #1: a small indefinite number02font02br
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00 Meaning #2: a pair of people who live together02br
00 Synonyms: mates, match02br
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00 Meaning #3: a pair who associate with one another02br
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0 01blockquote
01cite10Magic7912cite10...Thus, if somone says:12br
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10- A couple of girls are waiting for you outside.12br
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10The listener would have to ask weather the speaker meant two girls or more!!!12br
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11u10Aren't12u10 I correct?? Please elaborate on it if
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0My feeling is, [a couple] is definitely 2, however, could be 3.00 00If I said “ I am taking a couple of days off’ next week”.00 00I am saying I am taking at least 2 days may be 3 days off.02br
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00“I tried to called you a few time” – more than 3.02br
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00“I tried to call you a couple of times but you weren’t
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0I would agree with GG – if you say "do you fancy going out for a couple of beers?", you will feel distinctly aggrieved if your interlocutor goes home after two.02br
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00But context is important, as Marius suggests; if someone says "there are a couple of girls waiting for you outside", you will be slightly surprised, though not necessarily unpleasantly so, if you find thre
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