# A couple things?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-things/423451>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 21, 2007, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-things/423451 "2007-10-21T06:18:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![anonick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e5b9ba/32.png) [@anonick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anonick)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2007, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-things/423451/1 "2007-10-21T06:18:57Z")

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Shouldn’t it be a couple \*of \*things? Why does Cecil say “a couple” instead of “a couple of”? Isn’t he spoiling the language skills of the teeming millions? :dubious:

Usage note from American Heritage Dictionary ([answers.com](http://answers.com))  
\*  
The of in the phrase a couple of is often dropped in speech, but this omission is usually considered a mistake, especially in formal contexts. Three-fourths of the Usage Panel finds the sentence I read a couple books over vacation to be unacceptable; however, another 20% of the Panel finds the sentence to be acceptable in informal speech and writing.\*

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**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2007, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-things/423451/2 "2007-10-21T06:40:07Z")

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I dislike it but then again, I could care less.

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**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2007, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-things/423451/3 "2007-10-21T11:08:38Z")

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[QUOTE=Bryan Ekers]  
I dislike it but then again, I could care less.  
[/QUOTE]  
I could care more, but I don’t. There are levels of informality and Cecil typically chooses a middle ground. He often uses colloquialisms facetiously. He’s more concerned with the content, and keeping the column interesting.

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**Author:** ![anonick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e5b9ba/32.png) [@anonick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anonick)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2007, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-things/423451/4 "2007-10-21T13:18:06Z")

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True. A nitpicker like me needn’t bother him, eh? 😉