What's "a few" to you?

cormie

After my friend said he'd be down to me in "a few" minutes, I was expecting him in under 5 minutes, he then tells me he meant half an hour by saying "a few" after I ask him where he is. So using minutes as an example, what do you think a few minutes is?

Ruu_Old

About 5-10 minutes here, more towards 10.

Off topic: I had a teacher who always used odd numbers like "Ok class, I'll be back in 3-7 minutes" or "I'll be back in 5-9 minutes", freaky woman.

nervous_twitch

I thought this thread was about alcohol; when I opened it and saw 50-60 on the poll :eek: typical irish..

usually around 15 here

Thrill

Anywhere between 5 and 10 minutes. Anything after that would be "a while" or "later" imo.

Pigman II

30 minutes

Fast_Mover

anywhere around 15minutes..

InFront

2-5 minutes, if you're going to be anything longer just say the actual number!

Boston

3 of anything, can be more but aroudn 3.

metaoblivia

a few is 10-15 minutes to me, possibly 20 if someone gets delayed.

county

three

Agent Smith

i'd say between 5 to 15 minutes.

biko

"I'll be right there"
"See you in a few"
mean up to 15 mins for me.
"A while" would be within a hour

NoDayBut2Day

nervous_twitch wrote:

I thought this thread was about alcohol;

so did i, actually. :rolleyes:

anywho .... when someone says "a few", i usually take it to mean at least 3... more than 2... "a couple." :rolleyes: i don't know. that's what my mom would say, at least.

cormie

see the chap lives about 100 metres away so in this case under 5 minutes is definitely doable for a few. lol.

cormie

Surely not anything up to an hour

That's why we have different words

<15 - a few
30ish - about half an hour
40ish - a while
60ish - about an hour

then it generally gets broader the longer it is;
an hour and a half
2 hours
between 9 and 10 etc

that's how I view it in anywayiz.

haunted-room

I thought it was understood that a few means three! couple 2, few 3

certainly not 15 mins or a half hour anyway

cormie

Yeah, that's what I always thought too, that a few actually meant 3.

Thrill

I dont think most people use the words literally, but as a vague amount that they are not sure of.

dvega

Ya about 5-10 mins.
Anymore than that and they should say how long.

That reminds me of the other day when i went into the shop to buy a couple of rolls,and when i asked for a couple she asked me how many did i want???

phantom_lord

2-5, then it becomes 5mins...

de5p0i1er

InFront wrote:

2-5 minutes, if you're going to be anything longer just say the actual number!

Dead right, theres nothing worse then waiting for someone when they can't be bothered to let you know how long they'll be.

mloc

ah, and there's also "a good few" which means take whatever you think "a few" is and multiply it by 2 or 3!

Geek Nose

cormie wrote:

Surely not anything up to an hour

That's why we have different words

<15 - a few
30ish - about half an hour
40ish - a while
60ish - about an hour

then it generally gets broader the longer it is;
an hour and a half
2 hours
between 9 and 10 etc

that's how I view it in anywayiz.

Spot on.

scojones

A couple of minutes for me is < 5. A few minutes is 5 to 15.

Mossy Monk

8 minutes

Kolodny

I would say 5 to 10 minutes. If I was going to take any longer than that I would try to be more specific with the time.

Ponster

A few minutes for me is less than 10 but when counting amounts, a few is three or more but still a small amount.

MementoMori

2-5 - Anymore that that is nonsense.

If you apply "a few" to other items ,how many would you mean?

a few pints
a few hours
a few peeople
a few places
a few things

OP - your friend either knew they were in the wrong or is an idiot

Stephen

If someone said they'd meet me in a few minutes and then didn't show up for an hour, I'd think they're an inconsiderate bollix.

Seth Brundle

So whats a 'good few'?

Mrs_Doyle

If I am getting ready to go out, and I say I will be ready in a few minutes, I mean 20-30 mins.
In any other circumstance it would mean 10-15 minutes.

Nalz

2-5 usually is a "couple a mins"
5-10 "just be a few"
15-20 "ah itl be least a 1/4 hour"

Faith

It's 3.

"A few minutes" = 3 minutes
"a few pints" = 3 pints
"a few hours" = 3 hours
"a few peeople" = 3 people
"a few places" = 3 places
"a few things" = 3 things (this one is more variable though).

Lust4Life

I say it is more like ten minutes.
Things happen, we get detained.
Allow for the unexpected!

seamus

As a personal rule, "a few" is 3-5 of whatever.

However, when you're talking about time, that's when it gets a little muzzy. For example, if I'm meeting someone somewhere, and it takes me 15 minutes to get there, I think it's fair to say, "Yeah, I'm leaving now, I'll be there in a few minutes". They know how long it's going to take me, and 15 minutes isn't a lot of time. If on the other hand, I'm leaving someone and telling them when I'll be back, "I'll be back in a few minutes", means, "I'll be back in less than 15 minutes".

I could give hundreds of other examples, but time makes the whole thing much muzzier, because you can't get very much done in 3-5 minutes.

Kojak

IMO a "few minutes" is anywhere between 5 and 10 minutes.

dK1NG

10-20 mins (on a good day)

DonalN

if I'm late, a few mins is directly proportional to the number of minutes I'm late by...e.g if I'm 10mins late, 'a few mins' is the time it took me to get there + 10mins

if I'm earlier, the opposite applies....

Confused??...me too

Rb

Somewhere between 5 and 15 minutes. That said, it really depends on my mood, if I've absolutely no intention of rushing myself but others are demanding my presence, I'll generally say "I'll be there/I'll leave in a few minutes" but it could well be an hour and a half before I actually bother.

If its something I'm actually arsed rushing for, a few minutes will generally mean 5-15.

Doomspell

A few is about 3 minutes for me.

Lust4Life

Oh! And one more element to consider...
when you say you'll be back to the computer in a few minutes - will you be back in time or will you have to log in all over again?

Sad Professor

I have a hard time understanding how anyone can mean "a few minutes" as being anything more than 4 or 5 minutes. "Few" is a vaguely used term but it usually means 3.

Cormie, I think your friend is probably an idiot. I mean, if he says a few minutes as meaning 30 then what's a few hours? A day? A week? :eek:

Rb

Lust4Life wrote:

Oh! And one more element to consider...
when you say you'll be back to the computer in a few minutes - will you be back in time or will you have to log in all over again?

One person used to often fall asleep in the time I'd been gone after telling them I'd be back in a few (on MSN/etc)

Depends really, sometimes I'll mean I'll be back in a few minutes, usually around 10 mins. Other times I could say "I'll be back in a few" but if I get distracted (which I do, quite easily) it could be ages before I return (to the computer/msn). Depends on whats going on in the house/on tv and who's involved tbh.

Tar.Aldarion

A few is three. A couple is two. Ten is ten.

Lust4Life

Why do I have the uncontrollable urge to say "Me Last Long Time!" ???:p

InFront

A few is three. A couple is two. Ten is ten.

Ah yeah but what's "a fair few" then?

Seamus:Were there many in the quaint Irish pub last night, which we frequent?
Padraig: Ara, there were a fair few.

Lust4Life

Wouldn't a Fair Few be just enough people to share a pizza with?:p

jackdaw

2-5 minutes ......

Flukey

What's a few? Well I suppose it is similar to several, there or thereabouts or so.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

Up to 5 mins
absolutely not 15+
by definition I'd say 3 though