Why in our industry do we say 2 No or 2 number rather than just two?
2 No Sockets , 2 No Luminaires etc etc.
what`s wrong with just plain 2 or 4 or 99 or whatever?
I have worked in a couple of light engineering shops.
When making components they used the term "off".
2 off blue widgets, 5 off red widgets etc etc.
Firm A always recorded on their inspection history card the quantity in finished components.
Therefore example, a ring of metal was produced and at some stage it was cut into 12 components.
The entire history qty at each stage of operation was "12 off".
So 3 rings at start was 36 off for the entire process.
Firm B, however, recorded the quantity as 3 off until the split into segments then it became 36 off.
I witnessed a confusion and a great big polarised row when an inspection who worked for firm A left and then worked at firm B.
He followed the practice he had been taught (36 off at each stage from start to finish) .
In fact, as the Firm B in this particular job was producing components on behalf of Firm A then it also became a bit of a row between firms too.
Anyway, why 2 No or 2 off and not just plain old 2 ?