off-reckoningn.
/ˈɒfˌrɛk(ə)nɪŋ/, /ˈɒfˌrɛkn̩ɪŋ/, /ˌɒfˈrɛk(ə)nɪŋ/, /ˌɒfˈrɛkn̩ɪŋ/, U.S. /ˈɔfˌrɛk(ə)nɪŋ/, /ˈɑfˌrɛk(ə)nɪŋ/ Now historical.
Usually in plural. A deduction, spec. one formerly made from the pay of a British soldier, sailor, etc., and put into a special account made available by the government to the commanding officers of regiments to provide for the men's expenses and needs (as food, clothing, etc.). Hence also: the account or fund itself.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > military organization > logistics > [noun] > provision or procurement of supplies > accounts
off-reckoning1633
guard book1839
1633 T. Crosfield Diary 10 Dec. (1935) 67 12d abated for ye off-reckoning wherewith ye captaine is to buy them a suite of apparrell once a yeare.
1687 Royal Order 27 Nov. in London Gaz. No. 2299/1 The said Off-Reckonings to be employed by the Colonel of each respective Regiment, for the Cloathing and Poundage.
1694 House of Commons Rep. 25 Jan. in Notes & Queries (1979) Feb. 16/1 The Subsistence of The English Army, being last Year above 1,200,000 l. The greatest Part thereof, besides money for Cloathing and Off-reckonings, is under the Management and Disposition of Agents to the Army.
1713 Off Notice in London Gaz. No. 5126/10 South-Sea Stock is issued to answer the Off-reckonings of the six Marine Regiments.
1752 Ld. Chesterfield Let. 19 Sept. (1932) (modernized text) V. 1935 What we call the off-reckonings, that is, deductions from the men's pay.
1796 Maj. J. Taylor (title) Observations on the mode proposed by the new arrangement for the distribution of the off-reckoning fund of the several Presidencies in India.
1816 C. James New Mil. Dict. Off-Reckonings, a specific account, so called, which exists between Government and the Colonels of British Regiments, for the Clothing of the men. This Account is divided into two parts, viz. gross off-reckonings and net off-reckonings.
1844 J. H. Stocqueler Hand-bk. India 80 The Commander-in-Chief, [receives] £10,000,..and very often the off-reckonings of a regiment, of which he may be the colonel.
1867 W. H. Smyth & E. Belcher Sailor's Word-bk. Off-reckoning, a proportion of the full pay of troops retained from them, in special cases, until the period of final settlement, to cover various expected charges (for ship-rations and the like).
1895 Dict. National Biogr. XLVII. 268/2 In 1805 he obtained his regiment—i.e. received colonel's allowances or off-reckonings.
1966 R. E. Scouller Armies Queen Anne iv. 127 The term arrears was normally restricted to officers' pay, and off-reckonings exclusively applied to other ranks.
2003 www.kipar.org 2 Jan. (O.E.D. Archive) [In the 1660s to 70s] every soldier had to have two shirts and two cravats, both made from the cheapest linen and to be paid for with off reckonings.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2004; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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