a couple three

[kelber at mindspring.com]

Interestingly, I was re-watching the film Deliverance this evening and noticed that the sheriff at the end (played by James Dickey) uses the phrase.  

Laura

-----Original Message-----
>From: Jarek Hirny <j.hirny at post.pl>
>Sent: Jan 21, 2007 5:48 PM
>To: pynchon-l at waste.org
>Subject: a couple three
>
>Hi,
>
>on p 49 Nate Privett says "They're meeting right down the El line a
>couple-three stops [...]".
>
>But, but, but. I looked up what precisely "a couple-three" means and on
>http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=a+couple+three it states
>that this term originated in 1960s. Definitely not the time of Nate's
>quotation.
>
>Is it an older term? Urbandict is wrong? Or, some Pynchon's slip of the
>tongue? Which I highly doubt thanks to his generally praised ear for 
>american idiom...
>
>thanks,
>Jarek
>