Honestly, I've been cooking for over 5 decades, so far from a novice. BUT when a recipe says something like, "chop 1 small onion" it annoys me. Small onions, until a few years ago, were about the size of a golf ball. Now, a small onion is the size of a tennis ball. I have no idea when the recipe originated, so which size are they talking about? Same with other ingredients. Yes, I have enough experience to be able to guesstimate the amount of something needed, based on quantity of other ingredients.
I much prefer straight forward amounts.