Is it off or of?upid

About using 'off', from this thread in an engineering forum:
Oxford English Dictionary says....

"Used with a preceding numeral to represent a quantity in production or manufacture, or an item or number of items so produced. Usu. as one off: see ONE-OFF n. Cf. once-off adj. and n. s.v. ONCE adv. 24."
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Several views on that thread. I personally agree with the one who reckons it comes from literally pulling items 'off' a factory line.
 
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Jane had 25 of the apples but gave 5 away.

Jane had 25 off the apples but gave 5 away.

I can't see why we're debating this? It's 'of'.

e : wait, hold up. OP needs to clarify context as I've just read some of the above posts and see their point.
 
I expect in this thread you'll end up with a lot of normal people saying it's wrong and a lot of people from the sort of areas of work I mentioned above saying it's fine :p

[FnG]magnolia;18050374 said:
Jane had 25 of the apples but gave 5 away.

Jane had 25 off the apples but gave 5 away.

I can't see why we're debating this? It's 'of'.
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Totally the wrong context, the only time you'll see it will be quantity lists and material take offs, stuff like that, not used in text like that.
 
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It was the same when I worked as an engineer, we'd get requests for "5 off" written on schematics which were approved and that'd mean the chief engineer wanted 5 copies made etc.
 
Halfmad said:
It was the same when I worked as an engineer, we'd get requests for "5 off" written on schematics which were approved and that'd mean the chief engineer wanted 5 copies made etc.
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It does seem to be the expected way of saying quantities, but is it not just bad English? (not that I'm one to talk.)
 
As already mentioned, it's largely used in engineering. My father says it all the time, as did my grandfather. Both have engineering/science backgrounds.

"Stainless M8 bolt, 6 off"

That sort of thing.

It is not people being stupid and using "off" accidentally instead of "of".
 
Just asked the Mrs (who is a buyer for Rolls Royce Aerospace) if she had heard of "off" being used for quantities.

She said all the engineers at RR use "off".
 
I just realised how ridiculously stupid this thread is.

I do not understand where the word 'off' fits in with quantities. It's not correct.

The word 'of' means 'multiply'. When you have three apples, you say 'I have apples. 3 of them' because you have 3 x apple

A third of 3 is 1
I want six of those
We don't have many of them
 
TheCenturion said:
I just realised how ridiculously stupid this thread is.

I do not understand where the word 'off' fits in with quantities. It's not correct.

The word 'of' means 'multiply'. When you have three apples, you say 'I have apples. 3 of them' because you have 3 x apple

A third of 3 is 1
I want six of those
We don't have many of them
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You might think it's ridiculously stupid and not correct, but there's a whole industry out there that says you are wrong.
 
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