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[the few] is more likely to mean [a few] or [few] ?


The answer is few.

While both "few" and "a few" refer to a small number, they have a subtle difference in meaning:

[Few] emphasizes the lack of something and often carries a negative connotation. It implies that there is not a lot of something.

[A few] emphasizes the existence of something, even if it's a small
amount. It carries a more neutral connotation, simply stating that there
is some amount, but not a large quantity.


Therefore, in the phrase "the few," the emphasis is on the scarcity of something, aligning with the meaning of "few" rather than "a few."

__________________________


Sometimes [the few] can mean A LOT.

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Ar an cúigiú lá de mí Márta, scríobh HenHanna:

[...] Sometimes [the few] can mean A LOT.

About 3,000 in 1940, apparently:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Never_was_so_much_owed_by_so_many_to_so_few#Legacy

(Yes, yes, “the few” wasn’t in the speech, but it was routinely phrased as
such.)

--
‘As I sat looking up at the Guinness ad, I could never figure out /
How your man stayed up on the surfboard after fourteen pints of stout’
(C. Moore)

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Aidan Kehoe wrote:

Ar an cúigiú lá de mí Márta, scríobh HenHanna:

[...] Sometimes [the few] can mean A LOT.

About 3,000 in 1940, apparently:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Never_was_so_much_owed_by_so_many_to_so_few#Legacy

(Yes, yes, “the few” wasn’t in the speech, but it was routinely phrased as
such.)

"The Few. The Proud. The Marines." has been used by the Marine Corps since 1977. It won a place on Madison Avenue's Advertising Walk of Fame during Advertising Week 2007.



As of 2022, the USMC has around 177,200 active duty members and some 32,400 personnel in reserve.

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HenHanna wrote:

Aidan Kehoe wrote:

Ar an cúigiú lá de mí Márta, scríobh HenHanna:

[...] Sometimes [the few] can mean A LOT.

About 3,000 in 1940, apparently:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Never_was_so_much_owed_by_so_many_to_so_few#Legacy

(Yes, yes, “the few” wasn’t in the speech, but it was routinely phrased as
such.)

"The Few. The Proud. The Marines." has been used by the Marine Corps since 1977. It won a place on Madison Avenue's Advertising Walk of Fame during Advertising Week 2007.

As of 2022, the USMC has around 177,200 active duty members and some 32,400 personnel in reserve.

Compared to astronomically large numbers, 177,200 can be [a few] or [the few]

but Otherwise, describing 3,000 as [a few] or [the few] seems a stretch!!!

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Ar an cúigiú lá de mí Márta, scríobh HenHanna:

Compared to astronomically large numbers, 177,200 can be [a few] or [the few]

but Otherwise, describing 3,000 as [a few] or [the few] seems a stretch!!!

The full quote was “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so
many to so few.” The ‘so many’ was the British population of 47 million, a
figure much higher than 3,000.

--
‘As I sat looking up at the Guinness ad, I could never figure out /
How your man stayed up on the surfboard after fourteen pints of stout’
(C. Moore)

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On 06/03/24 21:29, Aidan Kehoe wrote:

Ar an cúigiú lá de mí Márta, scríobh HenHanna:

> Compared to astronomically large numbers, 177,200 can be [a few] or [the few]
>
> but Otherwise, describing 3,000 as [a few] or [the few] seems a stretch!!!

The full quote was “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so
many to so few.” The ‘so many’ was the British population of 47 million, a
figure much higher than 3,000.

Ná déan an botún ag glacadh leis go bhfuil aon rud ciallmhar ráite ag HenHanna.

--
Peter Moylan http://www.pmoylan.org
Newcastle, NSW

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On 2024-03-06, Peter Moylan wrote:

On 06/03/24 21:29, Aidan Kehoe wrote:

Ar an cúigiú lá de mí Márta, scríobh HenHanna:

> Compared to astronomically large numbers, 177,200 can be [a few] or [the few]
>
> but Otherwise, describing 3,000 as [a few] or [the few] seems a stretch!!!

The full quote was “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so
many to so few.” The ‘so many’ was the British population of 47 million, a
figure much higher than 3,000.

Ná déan an botún ag glacadh leis go bhfuil aon rud ciallmhar ráite ag HenHanna.

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!


--
I never met a people who were better at not getting to the
point than the Brits. ---Rich Hall

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Ar an séiú lá de mí Márta, scríobh Peter Moylan:

On 06/03/24 21:29, Aidan Kehoe wrote:

Ar an cúigiú lá de mí Márta, scríobh HenHanna:

> Compared to astronomically large numbers, 177,200 can be [a few] or [the few]
>
> but Otherwise, describing 3,000 as [a few] or [the few] seems a stretch!!!

The full quote was “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed
by so many to so few.” The ‘so many’ was the British population of 47
million, a figure much higher than 3,000.

Ná déan an botún ag glacadh leis go bhfuil aon rud ciallmhar ráite ag HenHanna.

Níl an t-am atá mé ag caitheamh sa grúpa seo (sci.lang) ró tábhachtach. Bheadh
sí níos fearr caint an t-am ar fad faoi teangeolaíocht, ach níl sé sin mar atá
an idirlíon. Tá fhios agam go bhfuil daoine ann gan intinn ró láidir.

Go raibh maith agat, áfach. Níl mé sa Usenet anois ach trí mhí (bhíos anseo
scór bliain ó shin) agus is é daoine difriúil atá anois ann.

--
‘As I sat looking up at the Guinness ad, I could never figure out /
How your man stayed up on the surfboard after fourteen pints of stout’
(C. Moore)

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navi wrote:

I don't know what's going on, but it seems that the OP is a reply to a question I asked recently.

Many [Maybe] HenHanna is trying to help me out.

Respectfully, Navi

yes... it's a well-kept secret (in AUE) what a helpful person HenHanna really is.


So the tentative conclusion (of the Orig.Post is) is...

[the few] is more likely to mean (something closer than) [few] than [a few]

i disagree with it. my take is...

[a few] is presented... (or implicit) So next time, the group is [the few]




_______________________________

to the bloke writing in Irish....

(i studied Irish using that great 3-CD set)

Tell us about Expressions, quirks, or Proverbs in Irish or Hiberno-English, over in Sci.Lang.

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On Wed, 06 Mar 2024 16:52:38 +0000, Aidan Kehoe <kehoea@parhasard.net>
wrote:

N�l an t-am at� m� ag caitheamh sa gr�pa seo (sci.lang) r� t�bhachtach. Bheadh
s� n�os fearr caint an t-am ar fad faoi teangeola�ocht, ach n�l s� sin mar at�
an idirl�on. T� fhios agam go bhfuil daoine ann gan intinn r� l�idir.

Go raibh maith agat, �fach. N�l m� sa Usenet anois ach tr� mh� (bh�os anseo sc�r bliain � shin) agus is � daoine difri�il at� anois ann.

<Bard>
The time I spend in this group (sci.lang) is not very important. It
would be better to talk about linguistics all the time, but that's not
how the internet is. I know there are people here without very strong
opinions.

Thank you, however. I have only been on Usenet for three months now (I
was here twenty years ago) and there are different people here now.
</Bard>

There are indeed.

--
Bob
The people your parents warned you about

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