[whatwg] Nitpicking Re: Editorial Bug: "Couple" of Appendicies

[Ralph Giles]

On Fri, Jul 13, 2007 at 05:36:25PM +0900, Charles McCathieNevile wrote:

> It is not the most intelligent use of english.. A couple really does mean  
> two, so the understanding of a native english speaker is that you really  
> are saying two, but lying. In this case, Smylers is correct that using  
> "couple" is wrong, assuming that using reasonably good english is a goal.

I disagree. A "couple" means both literally "two, a pair" and 
figuratively "a small, indefinitely enumerated group of things"
as was documented in the dictionary referenced.

Technical English often uses "several" or "a number of" or just "the 
Appendicies" to avoid this ambiguity.

 -r