Words for Small Sets
Words for Small Sets
[Heading above table:] Just to clear things up: [A chart with four rows and two columns is shown.] A few Anywhere from 2 to 5
A handful Anywhere from 2 to 5
Several Anywhere from 2 to 5
A couple 2 (but sometimes up to 5)

The noun "couple" can mean "exactly two items of the same kind," or it can be used interchangeably with words like "few" or "several", which in this context mean "comparatively small but definitely greater than one". But some people insist that "couple" can only mean two, by analogy with the specific use of the word "couple" to refer to exactly one pair of people who are in a romantic relationship.
This comic also alludes to similar arguments about the relative meaning of phrases like "few" and "several" (some people will argue that "several" should mean more than "few", while others will argue the opposite or that it doesn't matter), making this comic troll bait . Randall is attempting to "troll" (intentionally provoke) the people who claim "couple" must mean exactly two by taking the other side of the argument.
The title text similarly alludes to the argument. Randall says "Try asking a couple of friends [...] unless all three of them agree," which jokingly refers to the same group of people first by the vague term "couple," which can include three, and then specifies the exact number, resulting in a jarring effect as if a "couple" meant exactly three. The title text also mentions the sentence spacing issue as an example of another topic known to ignite energetic arguments among pedantic types without ever leading to consensus. Sentence spacing is later seen in 1285: Third Way . The sentence spacing arguments are about whether one or two space characters must be used after the period character at the end of the sentence.
The title text also points out an unusual situation where troll baiting may not work: namely, intending to spark an argument is most effective if there is a disagreement on the matter. If all of the inquired friends have the same opinion on the matter (be it the definition of 'couple' or the number of spaces after a period), then an argument may not spark, and the trolling attempt may fail. Randall also takes a side in the title text, saying "a couple of friends" and then later "all three of them".
[Heading above table:] Just to clear things up: [A chart with four rows and two columns is shown.] A few Anywhere from 2 to 5
A handful Anywhere from 2 to 5
Several Anywhere from 2 to 5
A couple 2 (but sometimes up to 5)
