How long is "A few days" ?

**TOTO** · 21st October 2009, 11:54

Originally Posted by rickstv

So, Is a few days more or less than "several" days.

Rick.

Doesnt "several days" mean more than "a few days" but "less than a week" ? But if " a few days" is up to 5 days and a week is a solid 7 days, dioes that mean that "several days" is actually a definitive 6 days ?

**TOTO** · 21st October 2009, 11:54

Originally Posted by Flatcap

A few days is twice as long as from half way to the start.

I dont get it

**avgas** · 21st October 2009, 12:00

Depends on who says it.
My dad has just popped out for a few days to take a walk.....he does these walks regularly so I'm not concerned.
Did I mention he went to Nepal

**Ixion** · 21st October 2009, 12:04

Well, technically, 'few' is the reverse of 'many' and the counterpart of 'several'

So 'a few days ' means 'not many days, but too many to be specific'

Go on , go on, ask it, you're dying to 'So how many days is many days '

**TOTO** · 21st October 2009, 12:07

Originally Posted by Ixion

Well, technically, 'few' is the reverse of 'many' and the counterpart of 'several'

So 'a few days ' means 'not many days, but too many to be specific'

Go on , go on, ask it, you're dying to 'So how many days is many days '

Ok I'll bite...

How many is "many days" then ?

**Ixion** · 21st October 2009, 12:07

More than a few.

**TOTO** · 21st October 2009, 12:09

Originally Posted by Ixion

More than a few.

Strange, I would have taught it was more than "several days"

**Ixion** · 21st October 2009, 12:17

It may be also. 'several' means an enumeratable number . cf the old usage "three several days".

We may say "there are a few flies in this room" ; or "there are several flies in this room".

The first implies that there are a (smallish) number of flies, but they can't be separately identified (cos they flying around?). The second that there are a smallish number, and each can be identified separately . Several is related to sever and separate.

I love these arguments.

**TOTO** · 21st October 2009, 12:27

Does "a few" get larger or smaller in size depending on the change of the size of measured units?

For example "a few minutes" - we know that it is definately more than "a couple of munutes" (2 minutes), but it must be less than 5 munutes because the we would say 5 minutes (as minutes usually get called on fives), so does it then mean that "a few minutes" would mean from 3-4 munutes as oposed to "a few days" that we "agree" means 3-5 days ?

**martybabe** · 21st October 2009, 13:08

Originally Posted by Ixion

Well, technically, 'few' is the reverse of 'many' '

Surely 'Few' is the reverse of 'Wef'

I entirely agree with (it depends who says it).

My daughter says I'll tidy my room in the next few days, apparently, in this case, a few days means never ever ever.