my research indicates that the "off ox" in a team of two oxen is the one (usually on the right) farthest away from the driver.
I don't know about oxen, but I imagine it's the same as in cricket, where the off side is the side of the person's dominant hand. IOW to a right-hander, the left side is on and the right is off, and vice versa to a left-hander.
If you picture yourself sitting on a cart, with a whip in your right hand, it's easier to hit the left ox than the right one. If the whip is in your left hand then it's easier to get at the right-hand ox.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-04-26 06:52 pm (UTC)I don't know about oxen, but I imagine it's the same as in cricket, where the off side is the side of the person's dominant hand. IOW to a right-hander, the left side is on and the right is off, and vice versa to a left-hander.
If you picture yourself sitting on a cart, with a whip in your right hand, it's easier to hit the left ox than the right one. If the whip is in your left hand then it's easier to get at the right-hand ox.