"off" or "of" when listing quantities.

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gustavfenk@googlemail.com - 13 Nov 2008 12:53 GMT

Which is the correct word to use, "of" or "off", when listing
quantities? I often see "off" used and it just looks wrong. For
example -

"Six-inch widgets - 4 off"

shouldn't it be "4 of", with this being a shortened form of "4 of
(those)" ?

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Loki Harfagr - 13 Nov 2008 15:08 GMT

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 04:53:06 -0800, gustavfenk did cat :

> Which is the correct word to use, "of" or "off", when listing
> quantities? I often see "off" used and it just looks wrong.

it really depends...
"thumballyruled" it'd go "may use 'off' when the material can be 'partialized"
for instance as "a slice off ham" Vs "a piece of mind" ;-)

> For example
> -
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> shouldn't it be "4 of", with this being a shortened form of "4 of
> (those)" ?

there, I think we're missing the context, I'd believe in your
example the 'off' is related to the price of the stuff, like
`` 6" widgets - SALE - 4 quid price reduction til Monday ''

now, I may well be wrong and I'm sure some other posters will
help to complete and/or correct this :-)

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gustavfenk@googlemail.com - 13 Nov 2008 15:19 GMT

On Nov 13, 3:08 pm, Loki Harfagr <l...@thedarkdesign.free.fr.INVALID>
wrote:

> Thu, 13 Nov 2008 04:53:06 -0800, gustavfenk did cat :
>
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
> now, I may well be wrong and I'm sure some other posters will
> help to complete and/or correct this :-)

The main areas where "off" seems to be used (or misused?) are the
engineering / building trades. An example is the table on this
website, listing the contents of a box of o-rings -

http://simplybearings.co.uk/shop/p60122/Metric+O+Ring+Seal+Kit+404+Piece/product
_info.html

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Loki Harfagr - 14 Nov 2008 10:44 GMT

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 07:19:33 -0800, gustavfenk did cat :

> On Nov 13, 3:08 pm, Loki Harfagr <l...@thedarkdesign.free.fr.INVALID>
> wrote:
[quoted text clipped - 28 lines]
>
> http://simplybearings.co.uk/shop/p60122/Metric+O+Ring+Seal+Kit+404+Piece/product
_info.html

OK, then the first idea was the correct one, it is like saying
"n pieces from the 'model-desc.'s (box|case|drawer|bag)"
"12 pieces off the 32 by 3 box"
"12 off 32x3" (ellipse on "the box")
it is indeed correct, probably now quite specialized or a bit out of date
(some would probably say pedantic or brittish instead ;-)

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Frederick Williams - 30 Jan 2009 04:30 GMT

> Which is the correct word to use, "of" or "off", when listing
> quantities? I often see "off" used and it just looks wrong. For
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> shouldn't it be "4 of", with this being a shortened form of "4 of
> (those)" ?

No. "Off" is technical usage in this case and so may not square with
everyday idioms.

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It's all a matter of training.
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Egbert White - 30 Jan 2009 12:25 GMT

>> Which is the correct word to use, "of" or "off", when listing
>> quantities? I often see "off" used and it just looks wrong. For
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>No. "Off" is technical usage in this case and so may not square with
>everyday idioms.

Okay, so what does it mean in that context?

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Egbert White, | "I love Americans, but not when they try
Planet Earth | to talk French. What a blessing it is that
| that they never try to talk English."
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Frederick Williams - 31 Jan 2009 13:10 GMT

> On Fri, 30 Jan 2009 04:30:41 +0000, Frederick Williams
> <frederick.williams2@tesco.net> wrote:
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>
> Okay, so what does it mean in that context?

"Six-inch widgets - 4 off" means "Four six-inch widgets."

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But you see, I can believe a thing without understanding it.
It's all a matter of training.
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HowieC - 31 Jan 2009 15:33 GMT

<snip>

|> >> Which is the correct word to use, "of" or "off", when listing
|> >> quantities? I often see "off" used and it just looks wrong. For
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
|
|"Six-inch widgets - 4 off" means "Four six-inch widgets."

Not sure it is technical, as such. I thought it was a reference
to the practice of ordering the entire quantity in advance, but
only 'drawing them down' as needed. For example: I would order
(and possibly pay for), 30 sheets of plasterboard. But only need
a few at a time. So, I would write my requision for '5 off', and
'off' would mean 'off my previously stated/reserved quantity of
30, leaving 25 to draw at some later date/time'.

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Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2009

"off" or "of" when listing quantities.