How many is a couple? A few? Several?

[Torrasque]

Please let me know how much each of these means. I don't care what context you pick--anything from the amount of pokemon you like to how many grapes you ate yesterday to how many kills you got--but if the context matters (ex: a few apples = 3, a few ants = 5, etc.) go right ahead and add it.

A few:
Some:
A couple:
Several:
A lot:

I just know some people who have very different ideas of which each means, and I am curious as to what you quantify each as.

 

[Torrasque]

A few: 3-4
Some: 7-10
A couple: 2
Several: 5-7

 

[Jezzascmezza]

I think "some" could almost mean any number- it's a pretty vague term, and I never thought it applied to a certain range of numbers.
A couple is definitely 2, and I'm pretty sure "a few" is 3-5.
As for "several," I don't know, really- I never use that term.
And again, "a lot" could be almost any fairly large number I think.

 

[StylinBones]

couple - 2
few - 3-5
several - 6-19
a lot - 20+

 

[Torrasque]

A few: 3-4
Some: 7-10
A couple: 2
Several: 5-7

Some is more than several? I always thought several was more.

Anyway, never really think of it.

"Hello sir, do you have any magazines?"
'I have some'
"What about papers?"
'I have several'

To me, several seems like more in that (and most) cases.

 

[Andy Shandy]

A couple - 2
A few - 3 or 4
Several - 5-9
Some and a lot - too vague to put a definite amount

 

[Treeinthewoods]

What are we measuring? A lot of Pandas is four, a lot of ants is a much higher number. The only one I see as a definite is a couple being two.

 

[Chemical Alia]

I shall tell you what they are in Chinese.

A few: 一些
Some: 有些
A couple: 两个
Several: 几个
A lot: 很多

 

[DoPo]

Well, these would depend on what "normal" amounts would be

A few: usually 1-4, but may be as high as a dozen or more (for very large sets)
Some: more than a few - it would be hovering around 10% of the total amount or alternatively 5-10-ish (maybe? still depends, though)
A couple: 2 but sometimes as high as 5
Several: more than a few, less than some. More like 5-ish maybe till about 10-ish
A lot: generally, more than a third or half of the whole set. Or maybe...dunno, 30-60-ish?


But when in doubt, I tend to default to these
Few 1-4
Several 5-9
Pack 10-19
Lots 20-49
Horde 50-99
Throng 100-249
Swarm 250-499
Zounds 500-999
Legion 1000+

Ah, the joys of using video games to learn English

 

[Jason Rayes]

But when in doubt, I tend to default to these
Few 1-4
Several 5-9
Pack 10-19
Lots 20-49
Horde 50-99
Throng 100-249
Swarm 250-499
Zounds 500-999
Legion 1000+

Ah, the joys of using video games to learn English

And Heroes of Might and Magic specifically by the looks of it

 

[DoPo]

But when in doubt, I tend to default to these
Few 1-4
Several 5-9
Pack 10-19
Lots 20-49
Horde 50-99
Throng 100-249
Swarm 250-499
Zounds 500-999
Legion 1000+

Ah, the joys of using video games to learn English

And Heroes of Might and Magic specifically by the looks of it

Spot on When somebody says "few" my thought process is still "1-3...well, maybe 4. Oh...wait, did it have 'a' in front of it or not?". Similar for "several" I go for "just above few, so 4 or more. Well, maybe 5 or more" I'm happy with it. I think these should be an official standard. Helps save lots of confusion.

 

[Arfonious]

Well, these would depend on what "normal" amounts would be

A few: usually 1-4, but may be as high as a dozen or more (for very large sets)
Some: more than a few - it would be hovering around 10% of the total amount or alternatively 5-10-ish (maybe? still depends, though)
A couple: 2 but sometimes as high as 5
Several: more than a few, less than some. More like 5-ish maybe till about 10-ish
A lot: generally, more than a third or half of the whole set. Or maybe...dunno, 30-60-ish?


But when in doubt, I tend to default to these
Few 1-4
Several 5-9
Pack 10-19
Lots 20-49
Horde 50-99
Throng 100-249
Swarm 250-499
Zounds 500-999
Legion 1000+

Ah, the joys of using video games to learn English

Good times

Also, that's a really good scale

 

[Scarim Coral]

I see it as this-
A few: 3
Some: 4-6
A couple: 2
Several: 7-19
A lot: 10+

 

[Hagi]

Isn't the point of these words that they're not exactly quantifiable?

I mean if I knew I had 3 apples I'd just say I had three apples.

If I knew it was 3-5 apples I'd probably say three, four, maybe five apples.

But if I wasn't sure how many apples I had then I'd say I had a few/a couple/several apples.

 

[DrRockor]

I would say its more than a few but less than several

 

[Faulty Turmoil]

Strictly speaking a couple is two. For me, the others are pretty much interchangable.

 

[Aedes]

I just can't believe no one quoted [a href="http://xkcd.com/"]xkcd[/a] yet...
Please, allow me:

Now, how I see it, don't think I can use absolute numbers but it's kinda like this:

A couple < A few = Some < Several <= A lot

 

[SckizoBoy]

Since the question(s) has been amply answered... sort of, we'll add a few more shall we?

Myriad, plethora & cornucopia.

...

-_-