How many is A LOT?

Among quantities like a couple, several, many, a few, and a lot, some can be mapped to specific values. A couple usually means two (or approximately two), a dozen means 12, and there is a long tradition of dictionaries trying to place limits on others. For example, Merriam-Webster defines several as "more than two but less than many".

But another way of thinking about these expressions is that they tell us where a quantity lies in relation to standards and expectations. From this perspective, the word several is used to counter the expectation that a number is limited to one or two:

It is possible to send an email to several people at once. [several, not just one or two]
WRONG: The news said that many people were injured in the protest, but only several were. [several can't usually be contrasted with many]

The same several people you sent an email to could be described as a few people when you want to say the number is fewer than someone thinks it is:

I did email those naked pictures to several people.
She thought I emailed those naked pictures to everyone, but I only sent them to a few people.

It is impossible to say approximately how many items a few, a lot and many refer to without knowing the context. Four is a lot of fish for one person to eat, but it isn't a lot of fish to find swimming around in a lake. The interpretation of a lot depends on our understanding of how many items there should be in a given context. A lot is a large enough number to impress and a few is close to none.