# How many of something is required to use the term “all”? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 19, 2021, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-something-is-required-to-use-the-term-all/950926 "2021-09-19T13:53:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2021, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-something-is-required-to-use-the-term-all/950926/61 "2021-09-25T23:15:25Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > 7 = several (“sevenal” would just sound stupid) Is there some widespread legit misconception that there ‘several’ actually means ‘seven’? I’ve encountered it a lot - for example when I once talked about ‘several decades of my life’, someone remarked ‘OMG, you’re 70?!?!’ ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2021, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-something-is-required-to-use-the-term-all/950926/62 "2021-09-26T01:57:48Z")
Yeah, like I say, if it’s a large cat, some of it might be on my lap, some of it might be on your lap, and some of it may still be in the kitchen ;). ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2021, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-something-is-required-to-use-the-term-all/950926/63 "2021-09-26T02:17:21Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Is there some widespread legit misconception that there ‘several’ actually means ‘seven’? > > I’ve encountered it a lot - for example when I once talked about ‘several decades of my life’, someone remarked ‘OMG, you’re 70?!?!’ I mis-stepped earlier – “several” _might_ include 8 and possibly 9, but I don’t think there’s anything written in stone. 5 could also be “a few” along with 3 and 4, but 6 in my experience is never “several.” This calls for some research; if I find anything official, you’ll be the first to know. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2021, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-something-is-required-to-use-the-term-all/950926/64 "2021-09-26T02:51:03Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > I mis-stepped earlier – “several” _might_ include 8 and possibly 9, but I don’t think there’s anything written in stone. 5 could also be “a few” along with 3 and 4, but 6 in my experience is never “several.” This calls for some research; if I find anything official, you’ll be the first to know. My personal rule is “several” and “a few” both entail 3-7 of something. This can change depending on my mood or the weather or a whole host of things. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2021, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-something-is-required-to-use-the-term-all/950926/65 "2021-09-26T07:41:54Z")
Several is more than 2. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2021, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-something-is-required-to-use-the-term-all/950926/66 "2021-09-26T12:21:19Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > I mis-stepped earlier – “several” _might_ include 8 and possibly 9, but I don’t think there’s anything written in stone. 5 could also be “a few” along with 3 and 4, but 6 in my experience is never “several.” This calls for some research; if I find anything official, you’ll be the first to know. I’d say that for me it depends on context, but “several” could definitely include 3+. It just mean I find it more unusual or inappropriate than if I use “few”. “He has a few cats” - he has 3 or more. (Or possibly just 2, but I’d except post hoc criticism.) “He showed up with several cats!” - he brought his 3 or more cats to a wedding rehersal! ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2021, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-something-is-required-to-use-the-term-all/950926/67 "2021-09-27T04:49:31Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > “In 2000, I booked a trip to Disney, and brought all my ex-wives and all my children to enjoy the Magic Kingdom with me.” I had never been married, had no kids and went with my cousin, but it is grammatically correct. It would still be grammatically correct even if you didn’t go there at all. It would also be a big fat lie, but it would be grammatically correct. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2021, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-something-is-required-to-use-the-term-all/950926/68 "2021-09-27T14:53:43Z")
Agreed - ‘several’ overlaps ‘a few’ and ‘some’ It’s not as many as ‘quite a few’ or ‘many’ It’s nothing to do with 7, except that it may sometimes coincidentally be 7. People may use ‘a few’ to indicate a notably small amount (‘only a few people bothered to turn up’); in the same way. ‘several’ may be used to indicate a small, but still slightly excessive amount (‘for some reason, he owned several coats of each different colour’) ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2021, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-something-is-required-to-use-the-term-all/950926/69 "2021-09-27T14:57:26Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Agreed - ‘several’ overlaps ‘a few’ and ‘some’ > It’s not as many as ‘quite a few’ or ‘many’ But, how many items of something in a set do you need to eat to refer to them as ‘all’? If there are two snails left, and you eat them both, did you eat ‘all’ the escargot? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2021, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-something-is-required-to-use-the-term-all/950926/70 "2021-09-27T15:00:49Z")
Yes. All may mean the entire number (or uncountable amount) of something (all of the escargot), or it may be used to indicate a _large_ number or set of something (all the people in the house), or figuratively, to emphasise something occurring in plenitude (she has _all_ the eyelashes) ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2021, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-something-is-required-to-use-the-term-all/950926/71 "2021-09-27T15:01:25Z")
Another vote for one. If there is one pie and someone eats it till none is left, that person ate all of the pie. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2021, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-something-is-required-to-use-the-term-all/950926/72 "2021-09-27T15:21:29Z")
“Dad, can I borrow some money?” ``` "You can have all the money in my wallet." ``` “Hey, it’s empty!!” ``` "There you go then." ``` ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2021, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-something-is-required-to-use-the-term-all/950926/73 "2021-09-27T16:11:32Z")
> [@racer72](#): > > Another vote for one. If there is one pie and someone eats it till none is left, that person ate all of the pie. Apples and oranges. He ate all of the pie, but he did NOT eat “all of the pies.” He ate THE pie. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-something-is-required-to-use-the-term-all/950926/74 "2021-09-28T07:26:43Z")
True, it’s probably weird even to refer to a single pie as ‘all the pies’ - if you already know it’s the singular, but still, consider: You are entering a room; you know there was a table that had a nonzero quantity of pies on it, but now there are only crumbs; there is one person in the room, John, with a used plate in front of him, and pie crumbs on his shirt. Nobody else is around. There are no pies left and you suspect and assume John ate whatever quantity of pies was initially present. Without further information, how would you describe your assumption? I think ‘looks like John ate all the pies’ is succinct and sufficiently correct, even if there was only ever one pie there. If you know there was only one pie on the table before John entered, then you might say ‘John ate the last pie’; if you don’t know that, but you only know that pies went from some quantity to zero, then ‘all’ still seems like the right word; the pies are _all gone_ - because ‘all’ can denote entirety or completeness, without counting; _all better_ - _all done_ - etc. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-something-is-required-to-use-the-term-all/950926/75 "2021-09-28T11:51:56Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Apples and oranges. He ate all of the pie, but he did NOT eat “all of the pies.” He ate THE pie. Yes, there’s a clear distinction to be made between “I ate all the pies (which was one pie)” and “I ate all the pie”. The first one fits the question criteria of this post, which is “how many in a complete set is required to use the term ‘all’ – as few as one?”. The second one is just specifying the entirety of a certain unquantified amount, similar to “I ate all the chili”. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-something-is-required-to-use-the-term-all/950926/76 "2021-09-28T19:19:58Z")
I think we have to get into countable and uncountable quantities here too - if there’s one glass of beer on the table, and Betty drinks it, it might seem wrong to say ‘Betty drank all the beer’, but if it’s a 5 litre mini keg and Betty upends it and drinks it dry, it seems just fine - even though the quantity is one in both cases. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-something-is-required-to-use-the-term-all/950926/77 "2021-09-28T19:22:02Z")
I’ve about had it with Betty. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-something-is-required-to-use-the-term-all/950926/78 "2021-09-28T19:42:17Z")
Don’t forget it was John who ate all the pies ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-something-is-required-to-use-the-term-all/950926/79 "2021-09-28T19:43:40Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I think we have to get into countable and uncountable quantities here too - if there’s one glass of beer on the table, and Betty drinks it, it might seem wrong to say ‘Betty drank all the beer’, but if it’s a 5 litre mini keg and Betty upends it and drinks it dry, it seems just fine Yes, of course there’s a difference between easily vs. not easily countable amounts. It’s like the difference between ‘less’ and ‘fewer’. If the refrigerator is full of bottles of beer and Betty drinks many of them, there are **fewer** beers in the fridge. But if it’s a kegful and she drinks a bunch, there is **less** beer in the keg. Also, Betty should really maybe seek some help for her alcohol issue. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2021, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-something-is-required-to-use-the-term-all/950926/80 "2021-09-29T13:00:09Z")
If **OpalCat** were still here, this thread would be a lot shorter. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-something-is-required-to-use-the-term-all/950926.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-something-is-required-to-use-the-term-all/950926.md?page=5)