Does those two expression mean the same thing? For example:
We sell eggs in dozens.
We sell eggs by the dozen.
Pack them in dozens.
Pack them by the dozen.
I really can't figure out what's the difference between them. Could you help me with this question? Thank you very much!
Pack them in groups of a dozen each.
CJ
I'm surprised that those two sentences are considered inappropriate by a native English speaker.
I wonder if there are some mistakes in this dictionary, but how could it be possible? A mistake in an DICTIONARY!?
They arrived in dozens. (= in large numbers)
I'm trying to make the same construction work with "scores" and "hundreds". "They arrived by the score" just doesn't sound as correct as "by the dozen" in the same situation. How about you, and others?
Since I hate crowds, I think I'd just avoid the whole situation.
Scores of them arrived on the scene sounds fine, but I wouldn't say They arrived by the score. I guess the equivalent would be They arrived in scores. I don't much like that either, but then, score isn't that common anymore, really, is it?
They arrived by the hundred... Hundreds of them arrived at once... They arrived in hundreds. -- Only the last one sounds truly odd ot me.