A dozen grooms and boys

[Markland]

Hi,

Here is the context:

"There were great stables, where a dozen grooms and boys held forth, rows of vine-clad servants' cottages,......."

My question is: How many gormms and boys in total are there in this sentence?

Grooms+boys=12??

I know it's not a math forum here...but just want to make it more clear when I read the novel.

Thanks.

[Haihao]

Grooms + boys = 12 or so. Cf. Grooms and boys in dozens.

[Markland]

What does "cf" stand for?

[Haihao]

Confer.

[Markland]

Thanks.