When is a couple more than a couple?

[ElvinaFrizzell]

We bought a set of saucepans for MIL. DH phoned her to arrange a visit. DH tells me MIL has bought "a couple" of pans already. I say "but she will need more than two." DH replies "I didn't say she had only bought two."

We visit MIL. She has a brand new set of five saucepans in her kitchen.

This is just the most recent example.

Couldn't agree more. The last time I was at a wedding, the happy couple definitely consisted of just the two people. Have you asked your DH about the possibility of roping two or three more people into your domestic arrangements on the grounds that you will still constitute a couple?

Message withdrawn

couple is 2

few is 3-5

Elvina my DH does this too.

I keep telling him off cos I always assume he means two and it def leads to confusion.

Thank you.

Rosa, an interesting suggestion to put to him.

Anorak, I have to be very specific with shopping lists etc or I never know what I'll get.

PS I'm now trying to decide whether my MIL has several or many saucepans.

I think five is probably several. Many would be more than a reasonable amount of saucepans, and I think five is a reasonable amount to possess (as long as they are different sizes).

In answer to the thread title, "When they're a threesome!

I think this is a man thing.
After all they go down the pub for a couple!!

A couple is two, end of.

I wouldn't say three was several though, mortherfunk. Three is a few. More than five is several.