How many is a couple?

[Ben Hatcher]

LOML and I have had a debate going for a while now on how many "a couple" represents. She says 2. I say 2 or more and say a couple and a few can be used interchangeably to represent a small but unknown quantity. I mean, if I knew it was 2 I would just say 2.

What do you think?

1. Exactly 2
2. 2 or more
3. Both

[Brian Kent]

"I'll have it done in a couple of days" means "up to two".

[Gary Max]

What if you where only going to spend a Couple bucks on tools??????????????????

[Scott Shepherd]

A couple is two. If you think 3 is a couple, then I can see why your wife disagrees with you. You are her are a couple (meaning 2 people), correct? Let her go get a boyfriend and bring him to live with you all. Would you 3 be considered a couple? I don't think so!

[Eddie Watkins]

Sorry, I agree with LOYL on this as in "they make a great couple", etc. On the other hand if soembody told me to go a couple of miles down the road I would assume they meant about 2 miles not exactly 2 miles.

[Myk Rian]

A couple=2. Nuff said.

[Ben Hatcher]

When it comes to people, yes, I totally agree that a couple is two. But like Gary said, a couple of bucks is how many? If you're going out with your friends, how many is a couple of beers?

[David Helm]

. . . and a few is generally felt to be 3 or more up to about 7

[Bruce Page]

I’ve always viewed “a couple” as 2. A “few” as 3–6 and several as 7+

[Bryan Slimp]

That's a funny discussion in a group of people that worry about 64ths.

[Dave Gaul]

I’ve always viewed “a couple” as 2. A “few” as 3–6 and several as 7+

+ 1 on that theory!

[Dave Gaul]

That's a funny discussion in a group of people that worry about 64ths.

Ha! That was a good afternoon laugh!

[Zach England]

There is an Amazonian language that has no words for numbers. There are words to express relative quantities like "more" or "fewer" or "a lot", but no words you can use to count.

[Dan Hintz]

"A couple" = 2
"A few" = 3+, with no defined upper limit
"A handful" = what I'm left with if I argue with my wife about such topics...

[Larry Browning]

I looked it up:
cou·ple

   [kuhp-uhl] Show IPA noun, verb, -pled, -pling.
–noun 1. two of the same sort considered together; pair.

2. two persons considered as joined together, as a married or engaged pair, lovers, or dance partners: They make a handsome couple.

3. any two persons considered together.

EXPAND
–verb (used with object) 8. to fasten, link, or associate together in a pair or pairs.

9. to join; connect.

10. to unite in marriage or in sexual union.

EXPAND
–verb (used without object) 12. to join in a pair; unite.

13. to copulate.


—Idiom 14. a couple of, more than two, but not many, of; a small number of; a few: It will take a couple of days for the package to get there. Also, a couple.

—Usage note
The phrase a couple of has been in standard use for centuries, especially with measurements of time and distance and in referring to amounts of money: They walked a couple of miles in silence. Repairs will probably cost a couple of hundred dollars. The phrase is used in all but the most formal speech and writing. The shortened phrase a couple, without of ( The gas station is a couple miles from here ), is an Americanism of recent development that occurs chiefly in informal speech or representations of speech. Without a following noun, the phrase is highly informal: Jack shouldn't drive. I think he's had a couple. (Here the noun drinks is omitted.)
In referring to two people, couple, like many collective nouns, may take either a singular or a plural verb. Most commonly, it is construed as a plural: The couple were traveling to Texas. See also collective noun.