a couple or three
A couple or three is when you’re telling the truth but not telling the whole truth, like a bad math problem with good intentions.
My dad said, 'Only a couple or three people came to the barbecue,' and there were 15 people and 2 dead chickens.
My friend said, 'A couple or three people came to the game,' and now we’re stuck with 8 of them and a broken chair.
My mom said, 'A couple or three people showed up to the meeting,' and there were 10 people and 1 very confused cat.