# How many, to you, is "a few" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 22, 2005, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-to-you-is-a-few/336811 "2005-12-22T16:30:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2005, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-to-you-is-a-few/336811/41 "2005-12-25T04:44:41Z")
> [@the raindog](#): > > Three, exactly three. 😉 And didn’t pre-read the spoiler… ---
**Author:** ![Booker57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Booker57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Booker57)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2005, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-to-you-is-a-few/336811/42 "2005-12-25T06:31:10Z")
The Bible says eight. 1 Peter 3:20. “In it, few, that is eight souls were saved by water” Talking about the Flood and Noah. ---
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2005, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-to-you-is-a-few/336811/43 "2005-12-26T05:51:11Z")
A few is two or three. A handful is four to five. Several is six to seven. A lot is eight to ten. A shitload is more than that. ---
**Author:** ![Lama\_Pacos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Lama\_Pacos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lama_Pacos)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2005, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-to-you-is-a-few/336811/44 "2005-12-26T08:01:21Z")
I have been zealously told that ‘a few’ is _exactly_ equal to three-- no more, no less. I don’t think I agree, but apparently for some people, it’s as fixed as ‘a couple’ is to two. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2005, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-to-you-is-a-few/336811/45 "2005-12-26T17:01:00Z")
> [@brian\_ax](#): > > A few is two or three. > > A handful is four to five. > > Several is six to seven. > > A lot is eight to ten. > > A shitload is more than that. What’s a bunch then? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Corii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Corii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corii)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2005, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-to-you-is-a-few/336811/46 "2005-12-26T18:12:26Z")
To me, “a few” is three. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2005, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-to-you-is-a-few/336811/47 "2005-12-26T23:23:24Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > How many, to you, is “a few” Three plus or minus one. Five is a “handful.” ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2005, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-to-you-is-a-few/336811/48 "2005-12-26T23:52:39Z")
Definitely depends on context. If the speaker is talking about a boxing match and says “I got hit a few times,” it could be a few dozen. If the speaker is talking about a knife fight and says “I got cut a few times,” it’s a much lower number. If the speaker is talking about a gun fight and says “I got shot a few times,” it’s a much lower number still. ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2005, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-to-you-is-a-few/336811/49 "2005-12-27T00:22:32Z")
A few isn’t 2 to 3. A couple is 2, a few is 3. or 4. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2005, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-to-you-is-a-few/336811/50 "2005-12-27T00:27:09Z")
1. ---
**Author:** ![Cockatiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cockatiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cockatiel)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2005, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-to-you-is-a-few/336811/51 "2005-12-27T00:41:10Z")
2 (although that’s a couple) or 3. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-to-you-is-a-few/336811.md?page=2)