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Confu-used...! (As always, just before understanding something.)
After reading your reply, shero101, I thought I had it. But kempie, now I don't, again... I have no problem with your "some food" example at all. But the other two, how do you (as a listener/reader) know which is intended as an approximation and which is meant to imply a relatively large figure...? Take the club membership example, for instance. How would you know, if you read that, which sense was being used? Oh please explain it if at all possible, kempie! (Or anyone else dropping by.)
shero101, thanks also for complimenting me on my English. It's good to hear, especially as I fear I'm often annoying with my stubborn mix of US English and UK English. Been telling myself for decades I must make a choice, but I feel so phoney when I do - you know, as if I were actually 'trying to pass' as one or the other... And so I persist in cooking up this cultural hotchpotch that would for sure annoy the bleep out of me if one of "you folks" were to do the same thing mixing say Swedish and Danish. So thankyou, shero - you make me feel forgiven.