24-strong order

Question

Hi.---The behemoth is only one of four expected A380s, part of an US$8 billion 24-strong order placed in 2004 with the European manufacturer.---Quoted from http://www.btusonline.com/article.php?a=1&id=10 , in the 12th paragraphWhat does "24-strong order" mean?  600/10,000 etc strong[only after number] used to give the number of people in a crowd or organizationQuoted from http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/strongIt seems not to be of this use...And can you please kindly point out the definition of "order"( http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/order ) which fits in this context?I changed the number to "10/15/20/25/30/ strong order", googled, and found that this "order" seems related to aircraft...But I still have no idea of its meaning...---------Some pages of "X-strong order"https://tinyurl.com/6dqf8jhttps://tinyurl.com/5u3ntthttp://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/runway-girl/2008/07http://www.janes.com/extract/jtf1999/jtf01814.htmlBest Regards

Avangi · Accepted Answer

Think of the strength of an army. We say an army is ten thousand strong. For airplanes this expensive, 24 is a pretty big (strong) order!

#14 in your first link fits the use of "order" here. "For the Hallowe'en party, we ordered three dozen pizzas. I'd say that's a pretty strong order."

Of course we often use "order" in the military or employment sense. "I want you to go in there and single-handedly wipe out all three of the machine gun nests in that farmhouse!" (reply) "Gosh, sir, that's a pretty tall (strong) order!"

Exodejavu · Answer

Thank you so much!![8]

Avangi · Answer

"Strong" means big in numbers.   A strong order is a request to supply a large number of units, eg., pizzas.  What's the largest number of pizzas you ever ordered??  (Did you ever order a pizza?   -   If you only ordered one pizza, I wouldn't call that a very strong order.)

Exodejavu · Answer

Thanks!

Exodejavu · Answer

Sorry. Question again.

---
The behemoth is only one of four expected A380s, part of an US$8 billion 24-strong order placed in 2004 with the European manufacturer
---

Is it that , in the sentence, it is a purchase of 24 items?
Then why "order" is not in plural form?

Avangi · Answer

If you go online and order 24 CD's from Amazon.com, and you order them all at one time (different titles) everything would probably appear on one page. They'd add up the total and send you one bill. You would say that you had "placed an order" for 24 separate CD's, not 24 orders. When you go to a restaurant and order an apetizer, a coctail, a salad, a bowl of soup, a steak and a piece of pie, you don't yell at the waiter, "Hey, waiter, aren't my orders ready yet?" You say, "Isn't my order ready yet?"

Sometimes you get a discount on big orders. When you buy 24 jumbojets the price of each one will be less than if you only ordered one. You place one order for 24 jets, or one order for three pizzas.

You've probably seen order forms which come with big catalogs. They have room to order many different items on the same sheet of paper. One order, several items.

Exodejavu · Answer

Much obliged <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/81.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/81.gif' alt='Emotion: rock'/>

Avangi · Answer

It just occurred to me that "order" may be used in a different way. If you're in the drive-thru of a fast-food restaurant, someone takes your order (one order) through an intercom. You say, "I'd like a large cheeseburger with no onions and an order of french fries." She comes back, "On the french fries, is that a large order or a small order?" (reply) "Make it a large order. Hey, wait, make that two large orders!"

So with french fries, order = portion.

Clive · Answer

Hi guys,

You can't say 'a strong order'.

2'4-strong' as an adjective emphasizes that the 24 in the group being described is a big number for that particular group.

eg The crowd of demonstrators was 10,000 strong. But not 'the crowd was '7 strong'.

Best wishes, Clive

24-strong order

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