In my opinion, "two" is not "a few". For sure, two is a couple, or a pair, or even a brace - but not a few. I am sure there is much agreement on this. However, my contention that three is the starting point for "a few" was recently rejected by someone who shall remain nameless. She said "a few" was four. I asked how two could be a couple and four a few, without three being accommodated. She said "three is neither here nor there "! After some effort on my part, there was a begrudging acceptance on her part that three might be allowed to be "a few", but she was not happy.
I know that 3 or 4 will be "a few" to most people on the planet; but where does "a few" stop? Is 5 "a few"?
Once you get to five, things start to get complicated and contentious. We can surely all agree that more than six is more than "a few". So, we must decide then on what to do with 5 and 6. Do we allow them to be "a few" or have we strayed into other territory? - eg. a handful? On the one hand, five digits in a hand could make that appropriate, but it's the subject matter that will determine things. A few people is 3 or 4, but I contend that 5 would be okay as well. The sixth would make them a group or half-dozen. But small sweets - a few could easily be 5 or 6!
What about "too few"? Is that 3-6, which is by no means enough? Or not enough, as in a shortfall of 3-6? "Two few" would of course be 6-12. Confusing? Yes! Glad that's over - phew!
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