Taking a few stabs at determining what numerous descriptive words mean

 My friend Alex is a stickler for details. That is helpful professionally, since a fair amount of work she does involves editing.

Often technical language. The type of language that doesn't appear in this column, where I'm loosey-goosey with words (an example: Alex probably has never had to check to see how to spell "loosey" in that context, because it's likely never come up in the documents she edits. By the way, it's correct. L-O-O-S-E-Y.)

Anyhoo, (another word she likely hasn't had to edit), Alex's precision extends beyond words on a page. Because I discovered recently that she has specific definitions for words that I suspect most of us use in a loosey-goosey manner (again, that's correct).

According to Alex, the word "multiple" means more than one. "Couple" means two. "Several" means more than two, but not many. "A half-dozen" means six. "A dozen" means 12. "A baker's dozen" means 13.

Correct so far, right? (Although I suspect some of us may have forgotten about "baker's dozen," not having heard it since 1974.)

But Alex has precision beyond that, defining words in a way that we might dispute. And by "we," I mean you and me. I also could mean someone saying "yes" in French, I guess. And a stereotypical Irish person saying "tiny." But mostly you and me.

So play along with me. When I write a specific word, see if you have a specific definition for it.

For instance, what does "a few" mean? Got it?

Alex insists that "few" means three. Maybe four, but generally three. If you have five things, you don't have a few, according to Alex, the precisionist.

(If I didn't already say it – and a quick look at what I've already written confirms that I didn't – I admire Alex's commitment to precision for these words. I only have a few words that I feel that way about. It's possible that it's more than four words, by the way, so Alex would insist it's not a few.)

OK. Back to the Alex definitions.

What do you think of when someone says they have a "handful" of something?

To Alex, that means five. Exactly five, because you have five fingers (presuming you consider a thumb a finger, which is a different discussion. Also, I presume six-fingered former relief pitcher Antonio Alfonseca gets a pass on this one). To Alex, having a handful of options means you have five options. Not four. Not six. I guess having a handful of sand means you have five grains? Or five ounces? Not sure, but Alex is committed to a handful meaning five.

What about "many?" What do you think of when someone says that?

Alex says many means more than five. Someone who has many dogs has at least six. If you have many ailments, it's six or more. And, of course for another baseball gag, if you have Manny Mota, you have the greatest pinch-hitter of the 1970s.

There's one more specific figure that Alex cites, although there may be more (a handful of them? Or just a few?) that she secretly harbors. Numerous.

What do you think of when you hear numerous? Alex says that means more than 10. Numerous traffic tickets? At least 11. Numerous marriages? Only if it's more than 10.

Here's the magic of it. Alex has an 8-year-old son and I remember being that age and trying to figure out some of these words. What does it mean to do something "a few" times? What does it mean when my parents say this has happened "numerous" times?

Alex's son probably has those thoughts. He might even ask about them. And you know what the magic is? He has a mom who actually thinks about such things and has a passionate opinion.

There are only a few moms like that.

That means three or four, of course.

Reach Brad Stanhope at bradstanhope@outlook.com.