Rules and Guidelines
Want to participate in the discussions? Please read our Community Rules and Guidelines. Need some help? Visit Support and Answers.

  • State Not Answered
  • Locked Locked
  • Replies 16 replies
  • Subscribers 32 subscribers
  • Views 1304 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
You may also be interested in
This discussion has been locked.
You can no longer post new replies to this discussion. If you have a question you can start a new discussion

Why Number ?

ebee
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 ?


  • 0
    One off. The origins

    The Grammarphobia Blog: Why "one-off" is one of a kind


    Z.
  • 0
    mapj1:

    In the world of Kahki paint it gets more confusing - here the abbreviation no. means part number, so a Number 8 morse key is the part description - you then need to say so-and so many off.

    (to mean of and exactly that number  of - being more rigorous, rather like the maths folk using  iff  to indicate " if and only if" .)


    So you get Equipment, special purpose no 99, 23 off - for exactly 23 items each of which have the part no 99 stamped on them (that's not a real example, real numbers are much longer and easier to confuse.)

    But then the MOD have their own language - we get in to the world of materiel which they use to mean what most of us understood to be materials...

    Mike.


    Back in my avionics days, I remember the story where apparently RAF stores allowed other items of the same nomenclature (that's a word I have not used since 1974) to be used to replace misplaced items. So Hangers, Coat could be used to make up a shortfall of Hangers, Aircraft..... (Well so they said)  Valves, Electronic were Resistors were 10W/ or 110W/ capacitors 10C/ or 110C/ with a string of figures following. Maybe just four, or sometimes the last part of the NATO Stock Code following the 99-  or indeed the whole lote.

    Clive



     


  • 0
    Sorry, It was Ebee's original question  - not Zoomup's as I said above.


  • 0
    geoffsd:

    As for the original question; writing "In the kitchen there are 2no. lights and 8no. sockets" is just pointless and clarifies nothing.


    Yes, enunciate properly and do not mumble. ?


    IIRC, which may be in doubt, in the RN one might say, "quantity 2". It is all about avoiding error, which my be more important in some circumstances than others.


  • 0
    burn:

    2 13A sockets or 2No. 13A sockets?


    2 no. 13 A sockets or 1 no. twin socket?


    Sorry, wrong thread. ???


  • 0
    The use of "number" in written or spoken communication can be very valuable in avoiding confusion when the subject of the message includes other numbers.

    Simple example "go to the stores and fetch two hundred watt lamps" could mean either "fetch some lamps each of two hundred watts, number of lamps not stated" or alternatively it could mean "fetch two lamps, each rated at 100 watts"


    If however the message was "go to the stores and fetch two number lamps, 100 watts" then it should be clear.


    There are many other conventions to avoid doubt or confusion in technical matters, including, when identifying items of plant by letters of the alphabet, do not use the letters "O" and "I" lest these be confused with numerals 0 and 1.

    When mentioning  sums of money in a work communication, it is good practice to state this in words and in figures, for example "This order will cost £483-60 (four hundred and eighty three pounds and sixty pence), please advise if I should proceed.

Community Rules & Guidelines