Do you hate it when NT's say this??

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I'm going out to the store and someone asks me to get them something. so i aslk how many, and he says, "I dont know, a few i guess". so im in the store and I'm thinking to myself "A few? like 2? 3? 4?? so to be on the safe side, i get 2. when i get back he says "Why'd you only get 2?? i said a few, like 3 or 4!!" so next time when a different person asks for a similar favor, I'm in the store thinking, 3 or 4? so to be on the safe side, I get 4 (if its too many they can return one next time they go....) and i get back and apparently 4 is way too many, and i shouldve gotten 2, maybe 3.....
So now when someone asks me, I say "How many is a few?" "I dont know, just get a few, use your judgement....", "But how many?" "I just told you, a few! Are you f****n retarted???"

What the **** am i supposed to do?

2=couple
3=several
4-7=few.


That's my definition of few.

Tell them of your dilemma, only tell them about it after you return from the store empty handed... do this enough times, and they will realize the need to be more specific when asking favors of this type from you...

2 = couple
3-5 = a few
6+ = several

That's how I interpret it. But I understand what you're saying, it confuses me as well and I've been in similar situations.

I don't let it slide anymore. If somebody wants me to get them something and they are not specific enough I will keep asking for clarification until they provide it. People assuming that I should just assume what they mean is a BIG pet peeve of mine.

I think a few is either 3, or 3 or more (not entirely certain, but it has something to do with 3).

I hate vagueness in requests. If a person does not know what they want, why do they imagine I would know what they want? If what they want is not important enough to them to name it, then why do they think it should be important enough to me to do it for them?

Unfortunately I am guilty of the same thing; I sometimes have difficulty making choices where there are too many options (especially if the parameters of some options are vague or not completely known to me) and try to simplify by having someone else choose for me. I prefer it when everyone knows what they want and is clear about it, but since I am a prime offender, I try to not be annoyed when others try to get me to decide for them.

3 is definitely a safe word for "few" because...well, that's actually the definition. If they want any more or less, they have to be more specific. Just ask them to be specific is all.

Uuuuugh, yes, I hate that as well! I always panic and get really anxious about things like that. Or when I volunteer to pick up lunch for the office and somebody's meal comes with a drink and they told me a bunch of options of things to get, or I know they like different things. They don't get that I need them to be specific or I don't know what to do!! !

I am exactly this way as well. Worst part is my dad used to tell me not to get a regular job (regular schedule, hours, pay) but just to work around our acreage, whatever needed to be done and he'd pay me whatever I earned. For the life of me I couldn't express that that was not enough information!

Tell them to pick a number or go get their own.

Before going to the store, I would ask that person for his definition of "few."

zghost and JetLag have the idea.

Three is a few.