couple vs couple of
For example: “a couple of things” vs “a couple things”
I know “a couple of things” is grammatically correct, but I also often hear couple used without the “of”, and by educated people.
Now I’m confused. Isn’t “couple things” wrong?
speedwell2
October 29, 2004, 11:18am
Dominic, your instincts are correct. "A couple of X" is similar to "a pair of X." "A couple X" is just slurred.
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davidlrattigan
October 30, 2004, 3:45am
A COUPLE X is everyday North-American English, but wouldn't generally be acceptable in a formal context. It's hardly used in Britain at all, although I've used it myself a couple times. ;)
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goossun
November 1, 2004, 9:10pm
Dave, don't try that at home! :-)
In Roger Waters' The Pros And Cons Of Hitchhiking we here him saying: "Hello...ya wanna cup coffee? [...] I'm sorry, would you like a cup of coffee?"
I think it's just a matter of how much one has got sleep the night before. Some people don't wanna speak too much so they use the of-free version of "couple of X."
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mike (unregistered)
November 9, 2004, 9:25pm
Speed, I don't think this is entirely correct. The word can be used without the 'of' in a few situatoins.
How many did she have?
She had a couple.
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Perenna (unregistered)
November 10, 2004, 12:38am
Your example, Mike, does not deal with the same idea or structure at all. Speed is right.
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Nigel (unregistered)
February 26, 2005, 7:17pm
"A couple things" is wrong, but the alternative is too antiquated for common use. I refer to "some coupled things". The "things" you see, are "coupled" meaning that the were put/made in couples.
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tfneva
September 11, 2011, 10:55am
Why is "couple of X" grammatically correct? What is the logic? And if "of" should be inserted after couple, then why not after "few or "several?" A few of things? A several of things? "A couple of things" sounds pretentious to me -- "of" is an extra word that has no use. I say drop it.
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tfneva
September 11, 2011, 11:21am
Use "couple of" if you assume couple to be a noun, such as pair: "a couple of apples" or "a pair of apples." Drop the "of" if you assume "couple" to be an adjective, such as few: "a couple apples" or "a few apples."
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Terry
November 23, 2011, 9:28am
Taken from Mirriam Webster Dictionary:
The adjective use of a couple, without of, has been called nonstandard, but it is not. In both British and American English it is standard before a word (as more or less) indicating degree <a couple more examples of Middle English writing — Charles Barber>. Its use before an ordinary plural noun is an Americanism, common in speech and in writing that is not meant to be formal or elevated <the first couple chapters are pretty good — E. B. White (letter)> <still operated a couple wagons for hire — Garrison Keillor>. It is most frequently used with periods of time <a couple weeks> and numbers <a couple hundred> <a couple dozen>.
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Gadfly
June 17, 2012, 7:46pm
I consider the Mirriam Webster Dictionary a source for USan English which is a type of patois - not authentic English.
For an excellent treatment of the subject see
http://www.quora.com/Which-usage-is-correct-a-c...
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Bob Davis
July 26, 2012, 11:09am
Since "couple" is a noun, as already indicated, it is more correct to use it with "of"
before another noun. But if it going to devolve into "a couple" & schwa, (comparable
to "gonna" and "tuh" [to]) better to accept the less correct form.
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