2007-03-16 11:26:19 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender
Neither of them really have an actual definite meaning of exactly how many "quite a lot" and "quite a few" are suppose to be, people use which ever one works in their favour.
2007-03-16 15:54:15 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Why do some contributors insist on ending a statement with "I guess" when they are clearly not guessing at all? "Quite a few" is simply a fun phrase to indicate that whilst the number involved is quite high, the person in their own way is trying to minimise the quantity - one of the pleasures of intelligent usage of English (I guess not!)
2007-03-17 06:39:31 · answer #2 · answered by Raymo 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They don't mean exactly the same thing, although they are used that way frequently. In much the same way the words 'a lot' and 'a few' don't mean the same thing...
"Quite a lot" is for a quantity that is not expressible in discrete integral numbers i.e. "It would take quite a lot of water to fill the ocean."
"Quite a few" is for countable distinct things i.e. "It would take quite a few days to measure how much water is in the ocean."
Don't you love how the English language is full of expressions like this that don't make sense?! :)
2007-03-16 12:28:59 · answer #3 · answered by stranger_in_ottawa 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Quite a lot is a sizeable majority... Quite a few is a sizable minority.
Very transgenderd question that... I liked the overt lesbian overtones of the inverted commas, and the subtle gay undercurrent brought to light by the choice of words. The transgender question was well posed by that lovely ' ? ' at the close of the question....
(No offence, I post in the wrong place too sometimes lol)
2007-03-17 23:40:25 · answer #4 · answered by jlb.1970@btinternet.com 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because I think "quite a few" is using half sarcasm to mean "quite a lot"
2007-03-16 11:31:07 · answer #5 · answered by ~ Lillie ~ 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
What does this question have to do with LGBT issues?
"Quite a few," to me, would designate a much smaller number than "quite a lot."
2007-03-16 11:31:45 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
A few is more than one so they both mean the same.
2007-03-16 11:33:43 · answer #7 · answered by Ollie 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am asked that quite a lot.
But honestly, quite of few of those times were out of silliness.
2007-03-16 11:45:12 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
It can mean "same difference".
2007-03-16 12:15:56 · answer #9 · answered by chris c 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
quite a lot of gay people, quite a few reasons/answers. they are all the same....confused.
2007-03-16 11:47:12 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋