Inquiring minds want to know

[penmage]

Okay, because it has been bugging me lately, a poll or two:

[Poll #1221134]

[Poll #1221135]

Comments

[esc-key.livejournal.com]

It makes me really mad when people use "a couple" to mean "a few" since, to me, couple is two.

[penmage.livejournal.com]

I know, I know. That's the proper way of saying stuff. But for some reason, in my head, "a couple" is "a few." I know it's wrong. But it's still stuck in my head.

[merriehaskell.livejournal.com]

Probably that's how it was used by the folks who taught you English. Not your fault. :) (Not my fault, either! A couple is "probably two, could be three." But we say "a couple" because if we meant exactly TWO, we'd say TWO.)