GalacticCactus Forum
Forums => English & Linguistics => Topic started by: kojabu on November 03, 2005, 09:01:47 AM
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Just wondering what your definition of several is. I need to do something for "several weeks" so yea.
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Several > a few
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Right but how many?
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It's a few more than a few.
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But how many is a few?
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Depends on the context. Several M&Ms might be a small handful. Several SUVs might be three or four. I would say in terms of weeks, you should expect to do whatever you're doing for no fewer than three and no more than nine weeks.
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A few less then several. Duh. ;)
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Several is 5-7 ish. A few is generally 3 in my book. For reasons that go into my bizarre family history, many = 2 and many many by extension = 4. And because of our landlord on Crete, plenty = hella too much, as in "Americans pay plenty taxes".
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a couple = 2 and only 2
a few = 3 or 4
several = more than a few and less than 10
However, it depends on what's being measured and what's expected. "A few" and "several" might refer to the same quantity, but the former downplays the number while the latter emphasizes it.
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I think that several has to be less than a few of the next level.
For example, several days could be up to around 9 days, because that's still not up to a few weeks, but 20 days is not several days because that's a few weeks. Once you're up to a few weeks, you are greater than several days.
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A couple is two, a few is three or four, several is five to (about) seven, and many is beyond that.
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Porter has an excellent point. It applies to ounces and cups as well.
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Yup. 15 ounces is still just several ounces.
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Several = about seven.
A few = two or three
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Yup. 15 ounces is still just several ounces.
???
OH! You mean weight, not volume.
couple = 2
coupla = 2-3 (my dad is from Brooklyn :P )
few = 3-5
several =3-7, usually; but Brinestone is right about context
If someone told me they were going away for several weeks, I would expect that to mean 4-5 or so.
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No, fifteen ounces is a Lawyer's pint. Unless you are talking about net weight and not fluid ounces. Also, if you've had a baby you count every darn ounce like it was gold.
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So it looks like my cartiledge piercing will need to be salted for at least 2-3 more weeks to make this a nice round "several." (it's already been three)
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If someone told me they were going away for several weeks, I would expect that to mean 4-5 or so.
That fits right with my theory. :cool:
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Good Lord, I've been sucked into another forum.
A couple = 2.
A few = 3-4.
Several = 4-5.
And I could make further comments regarding many and lots in terms of trolls in Terry Pratchett, but anyone reading this either already got it or is way lost.
Regarding the fact that you were told to soak your cartilage for "several" weeks: I suggest that you do salt water soaks until it doesn't hurt. And should it hurt again, even a year or two later, do some more salt water soaks. I speak from experience. My poor little double-pierced ear would appreciate one right about now (about a year and a couple months since it was pierced), but I'm too tired to lie on the floor with my ear in hot salty water.
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They told me to use a cotton ball for it...
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Why am I imagining you with a bone through your nose?
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Me? Because I'm a cannibal?
:pirate: <---wishes it were a cannibal
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You'd also need a necklace with cat claws dangling from it. And a topknot. Big round earrings too.
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Not cat claws. Lion claws.
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or shark teeth.
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No. Having shark teeth isn't impressive. Sharks shed their teeth for anybody to pick up.
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yeah they shed their teeth -- In your surfboard!!!
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Or your leg!
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Or your nose!
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Well, by cat claws I was thinking a big cat. Like a tiger. Tigers tend to be bigger than Lions.
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Or the beach.
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No. Having shark teeth isn't impressive. Sharks shed their teeth for anybody to pick up.
What if she ripped the teeth out of its mouth with while killing it with her bare hands?
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I'd still assume she picked them up off the beach.
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I'd still assume she picked them up off the beach.
You dare doubt the awesome power of the spikey hair!?
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Pshaw. You look like that far-too-pretty actress* that they chose to play Hermione. I fear you not at all.
*not too pretty to exist, but she's too pretty to play Hermione
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Now that the game is over, I can revert to my previous avatar.
Take that spikey hair now!
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I tremble with lack of fear.
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You best be shaking in your boots.
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Well, I guess this is yet another thing that I do incorrectly.
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Socks then?
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so long as they're in sandals...:puke:
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Maybe socks.
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Good, glad to hear it.
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I said MAYBE!!! :pirate:
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Hm, maybe means yes in this circumstance. The :fear: says so.
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In that case, NO, never. :P
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"It seems to me that maybe pretty much always means no."
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I thought "I'm disinclined to accept your proposal" means no. :pirate:
And my daughter just made me read the article on bird flu and it said several people had died and I asked her how many was several, and she said "seven". though later it referred to several asian countries, and there were nine listed.
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"It seems to me that maybe pretty much always means no."
It's true. I think back on my childhood whenever I asked my parents for something and they'd say, "maybe later." Whatever I asked for never happened. :(
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"It seems to me that maybe pretty much always means no."
It's true. I think back on my childhood whenever I asked my parents for something and they'd say, "maybe later." Whatever I asked for never happened. :(
My dad told me the following:
"Whenever your mother asks you to do something that you don't want to do, say maybe so she'll be happy."
And then I say maybe and proceed to forget about whatever it was she asked me to do.
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Oooh, it will not be a pretty day if one of my kids gives me a "maybe". Of course, they are only 17 if you add up all their ages at this point.
What I say is "not right now" and my kids very often ask me something and I sigh and they say "I know, not right now." I feel bad that their expectations are actually very modest for working class American kids. Though Dad still manages to go crazy every Christmas.
The last couple of years I've tried to get Christmas squared away early to avoid last minute sprees. This year I'm not buying anything because I know it won't prevent the last minute spree.
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Hide the cash, checkbook, and credit cards.
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um, nevermind.