by the thousand

In huge quantities, presumably numbering several thousand. When the potato famine hit Ireland, the Irish began emigrating by the thousand.

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Ricarda	['rika:dz]
Harriett	HER-ee-ət, HAR-ee-ət	English
Faddei	-	Russian
Klavdiya	KLAHV-dee-yah (Russian)	Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian
İDrİS	-	Turkish
Derek	DER-ik	English