When does thousand turn into thousands?

My boyfriend and I are arguing whether thousands of miles means 1000+ or 2000+ miles.

The first argument is that 1000+ is over 1000 and therefore 'thousands of miles' by rounding up.

The other argument is that thousands are a unit, and if you only have one unit plus a fraction of that unit it is not 'thousands of miles', it is a thousand miles plus the fraction: therefore only 2000+ is really 'thousands of miles'.

Solution 1:

If your argument was that thousands means 2000+, then you could show your boyfriend the following dictionaries, which define thousands in your favour:

• merriam-webster
• freedictionary
• collins

Do not show him the following dictionaries, which define thousands in his favour:

• oxford
• dictionary.com
• cambridge

I'd say opinion is well and truly divided.

Solution 2:

If someone said "I have thousands of dollars" and really they had $1900, then you would say they are a liar or romancer. If they really had $2100, you'd think they are nominally correct, but being somewhat misleading. I'd say it gets to be "thousands" around $3000.

One may even say thousands' meaning up until the next threshold, which would be up to roughly 8 or 9 thousand where one would start to say 'around 10,000', then 'almost 20,000' before one gets to 'tens of thousands'.

This can be generalized (the internal feeling of sense is maintained) to tens, hundreds, etc.

This is not the same as when to use the plural with a number and 'thousand'.