On May 24, 2013, at 12:37 PM, Robert Elz wrote: > Date: Fri, 24 May 2013 16:47:08 +0000 > From: David Holland <dholland-sourcechan...@netbsd.org> > Message-ID: <20130524164708.ga...@netbsd.org> > > | : -The default interval for router advertisements, which is on the order > of 10 > | : +The default interval for router advertisements, which is in the order > of 10 > | > | ...it should be "on" > > Actually, I think it should be "of". > > "in" when it relates to orders would be used for the kind of order where > a follows b follows c - those are in the order of ... > > "on" when it relates to orders would refer to something that is written, > and there may be a note, on the order, that X should be added, or ... > > "of" when it relates to orders comes to comparisons, and is the variant > that is meant here, it means "approximately 10 minutes", or "of the order > of 10 minutes".
In the US we use "on" for what you've said you'd think you'd use "of". "on the order of 10 minutes" means "about 10 minutes." I think the original text was correct. But it would be perhaps more international to say "which should be approximately 10". Warner