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Thu 1 Apr, 2004 06:41 pm
Okay, I was going to put this under the "Pet Peeves" category, but I really wanted some feedback on this, rather than adding it to a list. I work at an order center, and a lot of people use the word "Each" in a way that almost makes me scream (I think once it did). Here is how it was used:
Customer: I'd like item A, one each... Item B, I will take one each, and I'll have two each of Item C.
Okay, The first time I heard this, I assumed when they said "One each" that would apply to the following items. But it doesn't, it only applied to the item the customer says it after. They say "each" after the quantity for each item. It blows my mind! Can somebody explain this? Is there some part of the country, or some other country even, where this is considered an exceptable part of the language? So many people do it, that it really confuses me. Am I missing some definition of the word?
Well it seems that there is nothing wrong to say one each if there are many different things for item A.
Say, 5 different types of apples in item A. Just pick a from every different type that make up 5 would be fine
"acceptable" as in "able to be accepted", right?
It's just my picky proofreader's eye...
Well I agree with you SCoates, that would be wrong round here.
We would just say "two of item number 5", "four of item 7", or whatever.
To use "each" in this case seems to me the opposite of the actual sense of the word.
(Such as, the children are to get one icecream each)
In inventory and other listings, one "each" is used to differentiate unit items from grouped items such as one pair or one set.
Could you give an example of the usage?
Oh, go on, ignore me then.
Kit contains: cap (1 ea.), socks (2pr.), survival knife (1 ea), signal flags (1 set)------
flyboy804 wrote:Kit contains: cap (1 ea.), socks (2pr.), survival knife (1 ea), signal flags (1 set)------
That seems to be the use of "each" that SCoates was complaining about, and seems to me to be wrong.
I have not previously given the matter any thought. The convention goes back as far as I can recall. Perhaps the "each" is to ensure against the inadvertent omission of a different unit designator.
Or maybe it originated when their were multiple kits, so it actually made sense. In other words, "each kit has one cap." Where have you seen this usage? Has it ever been related to your job, or merely as a consumer?
I've used it on my jobs in the military as a commissary officer and as a munitions officer. Also as a "customer" when items were issued. As a clearer example an inventory sheet would list "item" (tomatoes # 10 can),"unit" (case-6/case), "quantity" [here one would list the number of cases]. Next would be "item" (tomatoes # 10 can) "unit" (each). [here one would list the number of loose cans].
Hmm... those who use the word that way are always men. I wonder if it's from military experience.
People screw up in the warehous and inventory business. If I order "1 hat" I'd expect to get 1 individual hat. But the guy in the manufactrer's warehouse that drives a forklift doesn't work with individual hats. He deals with cases of hats.
If he gets my order directly he may end up shipping me "1 case of hats" assuming that was what was ordered.
Specifiying "1 each" makes it clear to everyone exactly what you are ordering. When I order something on-line or on the phone I want to make sure that I'm getting exactly what I ordered. I don't want to find out next week that when I thought I was ordering "1" you thought I meant "1 gross" and that my bank account was just emptied unexpectedly.
SCoates wrote:Hmm... those who use the word that way are always men. I wonder if it's from military experience.
More likely it's because women seldom worked in warehouses traditionally.
I just looked at an old invoice for my Dell. All items showed "ea" as the unit. I'm pretty sure you will find most people (male or female) using this terminology for shipping and bookkeeping.
Yes, that could also explain it.
From an English perspective, it seems to me that saying "one each," when you're choosing items that are all the same, is wrong. For example, if you're choosing ribbons that are alike in fabric, finish, and width but differ in color, it would be reasonable to say, I"ll take three of each," or "I'll take three each." Meaning three of each color. But if the ribbons are exactly the same, then saying "each" seems unnecessary to me.
However, from an inventory/stockkeeping perspective, if "each" helps to clarify matters, I say say it.
flyboy804 wrote:I just looked at an old invoice for my Dell. All items showed "ea" as the unit. I'm pretty sure you will find most people (male or female) using this terminology for shipping and bookkeeping.
This is correct, and is also a common usage here, but writing "ea" on a list or inventory is not quite the same as the usage which was quoted earlier.
Incidentally, in manufacture here, it is also common to write "1 No." or even "1 off" when one of anything is requred, but these terms do not get used in spoken language, or only rarely as shorthand, or as jargon.
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