![]() Every cycle, before an egg is released from the ovaries, reproductive hormones like progesterone cause the lining of the uterus – the endometrium – to thicken and fill with blood vessels. We are taught that menstruation is a normal part of the reproductive cycle, a necessary by-product of being a sexually reproducing species. Regularly bleeding out of your vagina is not one of them. Opposable thumbs, the power of speech, the capacity to think and reason: there are many reasons to relish being human. Spock were still alive today, I think he would agree that “a few” cannot equal two, since that number is already reserved for “a couple” (be it two lovers buying tickets to a movie or two pointy ears).Image credit: Patricia Moraleda via Pixabay ![]() I don’t think we need to be all that strict about it, but if Mr. And despite what the bloody information agents of the Internet Illuminati say, I’m staying with my long-held understanding of the numbers for few and several, which are much like those of the other sane individuals who’ve posted here: Google has just lost several–no, HEAPS–of points with me after this exasperating experience. ![]() I just did a Google search for the answer to this very question–well, at least the question, “‘Exactly’ how many is a few and how many is several?” (and, yes, I will admit that’s a couple of questions…right)?Īlmost all the hits I got for the quantity of the word “several” looked like they all copied exactly the same phrasing from some mysterious authority somewhere: “Several is three or more (but often less than many, which we will cover next).” When I looked up a quantity for the word “few” the first hit I encountered stated this: “While many people would agree that ‘few’ means three or more, the actual dictionary definition of ‘few’ is, ‘not many but more than one.’ So a ‘few’ cannot be one, but it can be as low as two.” All to which I want to respond, WHA-? Are you all out of your minds?!? How can a few be two when that is what is meant by a couple, and how can several be three and yet still be more than a few, which–I think most people with two eyes and a brain can see–is more than a couple, or two? Erin, you stated it yourself above, two is a COUPLE, not a FEW. Your question and the answer could be featured in a future post. It’s safe to say, though, that the girl who has many toe socks probably has a drawer overflowing with them.Īny questions about “couple,” “few,” “some,” “several,” or “many”? Any other questions you’d like to ask Write Right? Feel free to leave a comment here or on the Facebook page. “Many,” like the other words, has no exact number associated with it. “She has many toe socks” means that she has a number of toe socks, perhaps more than the number of regular socks. In a sentence? “Alicia’s grandmother knitted several pairs of socks for her for Christmas.” It might not be the greatest Christmas gift, but at least Alicia has socks again.Īs for “many,” it means a multitude. The dictionary says it means more than a few but not a great number. “Several” is used to mean more than “some” but less than “many.” Again, there is no exact number. Thus, one might say “I have some socks you can borrow,” or “I will have to do some shopping to replace some socks.” “Some” is understood as meaning more than “few” but less than “several.” What does that mean exactly? No one’s sure thus, people use the word as it feels right to them. He or she has a sufficient number of socks unlike the person who has few of them. ![]() The first case tends to signify that the person does, indeed, have enough socks to at least last until the next wash day. Were they lost in that infamous dryer? Eaten by the dog? No one knows. “I have a few socks” means something different from “I have few socks.” The second case might cause one to wonder why a person has few socks. It refers to more than two things but doesn’t refer to as many things as “some” or “several.” To make the word even more problematic, it can be modified by “a,” which changes the meaning entirely. Thus, a “couple” of socks refers to two socks that may or may not be mismatched after a brawl in the dryer. It makes sense people use the word “couple” to refer to two people who are in a relationship. There are no firm rules, only guidelines, and those are based on what sound and feel right.įor instance, it’s generally accepted that “couple” refers to two things. I confess I thought actual rules existed in regard to “couple,” “few,” “some,” “several,” and “many.” I was mistaken. A couple, few, some, several, and many walk into a bar…Oh, wait, that isn’t right.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |