Settle an argument

[tikay]

Just to be difficult, it can mean both of two options.

Surely that would be "either/or". Though as you are a Brief, and as such a Professional Argue-er, best not argue I guess......

[Robert HM]

Just to be difficult, it can mean both of two options.

Surely that would be "either/or". Though as you are a Brief, and as such a Professional Argue-er, best not argue I guess......

e.g. "There was fencing on either side of the path"

[bolt pp]

Just to be difficult, it can mean both of two options.

yep

[pswnio]

One of two. Come on, chaps. Seriously.

[crapper]

Well my little child,

you can either have a toffee, or a mint, or a choccy, or a biscuit, or an ice cream, or a lolly, or a chew, or a humbug, or a banana, or an apple, or some grapes, or a comic, or a magazine, or a toy, or a pet cat, or a pet rodent, or nothing if you don't stop grizzling !

So that's one either and either loads of ors or nothing....jeez that's two eithers then ?  Confusing this...

[KeithyB]

Either means a choice of two for me predominantly and usually I'd say it's incorrect for either to indicate more than two options.

e.g "Either of the two teams in the final could win the trophy" is ok but

"Either of the four teams in the semi finals could win the trophy" is wrong and either should be replaced by "Any"

Or if the wife is trying earrings on and asks my opinion on which ones look the best I'll say either pair looks looks great if she's only tried two pairs on. However if she, as is usually the case  , has tried more than two pairs on I'd say any pair looks great as either would feel wrong now.      Thus I'm grammatically correct whilst also preserving the marital harmony in one fell swoop! 

However I don't think there's anything wrong with the following sentence where either clearly relates to more than two options...

"Either France, Argentina, England or South Africa will be lifting the trophy in two week's time"

So either is usually one of two but not necessarily and likely depends on how it's being used.   

[rudders]

Either means a choice of two for me predominantly and usually I'd say it's incorrect for either to indicate more than two options.

e.g "Either of the two teams in the final could win the trophy" is ok but

"Either of the four teams in the semi finals could win the trophy" is wrong and either should be replaced by "Any"

Or if the wife is trying earrings on and asks my opinion on which ones look the best I'll say either pair looks looks great if she's only tried two pairs on. However if she, as is usually the case  , has tried more than two pairs on I'd say any pair looks great as either would feel wrong now.      Thus I'm grammatically correct whilst also preserving the marital harmony in one fell swoop! 

However I don't think there's anything wrong with the following sentence where either clearly relates to more than two options...

"Either France, Argentina, England or South Africa will be lifting the trophy in two week's time"

So either is usually one of two but not necessarily and likely depends on how it's being used.   

wrong wrong wrong!, sorry but it is always relating to 2 choices

[neeko]

Either means a choice of two for me predominantly and usually I'd say it's incorrect for either to indicate more than two options.

e.g "Either of the two teams in the final could win the trophy" is ok but

"Either of the four teams in the semi finals could win the trophy" is wrong and either should be replaced by "Any"

Or if the wife is trying earrings on and asks my opinion on which ones look the best I'll say either pair looks looks great if she's only tried two pairs on. However if she, as is usually the case  , has tried more than two pairs on I'd say any pair looks great as either would feel wrong now.      Thus I'm grammatically correct whilst also preserving the marital harmony in one fell swoop! 

However I don't think there's anything wrong with the following sentence where either clearly relates to more than two options...

"Either France, Argentina, England or South Africa will be lifting the trophy in two week's time"

So either is usually one of two but not necessarily and likely depends on how it's being used.   

wrong wrong wrong!, sorry but it is always relating to 2 choices

France are will lose today, and South Africa are better than Argentina.

So its either England or South Africa.

[AdamM]

Well my little child,

you can either have

a toffee, a mint, a choccy, a biscuit, an ice cream, a lolly, a chew, a humbug, a banana, an apple, some grapes, a comic, a magazine, a toy, a pet cat, a pet rodent,

OR

nothing if you don't stop grizzling !

either a nice thing OR nothing

could be either all the nice things or nothing but the nice things are a single choice

[RedFox]

KeithyB is correct.

Either refers to a choice of two only.

Any of - is a choice in excess of two.

[celtic]

On the radio about 5 mins ago, the present said"text to your name to .... followed by your answer, either a, b or c!!!!!!! Is he wrong to say that?

[RED-DOG]

On the radio about 5 mins ago, the present said"text to your name to .... followed by your answer, either a, b or c!!!!!!! Is he wrong to say that?

But is he saying "Either" one of the first two, "Or" the other one?

[Dingdell]

On the radio about 5 mins ago, the present said"text to your name to .... followed by your answer, either a, b or c!!!!!!! Is he wrong to say that?

But is he saying "Either" one of the first two, "Or" the other one?

Argggh - is this how you won against the planners this week Tom - you just went on and on being pedantic and then confused them or did you have a reasoned argument - either method is ok 

[TotallyInsane]

From free online dictionary: - Usage Note: The traditional rule holds that either should be used only to refer to one of two items and that any is required when more than two items are involved: Any (not either) of the three opposition candidates still in the race would make a better president than the incumbent. But reputable writers have often violated this rule, and in any case it applies only to the use of either as a pronoun or an adjective. When either is used as a conjunction, no paraphrase with any is available, and so either is unexceptionable even when it applies to more than two clauses: Either the union will make a counteroffer or the original bid will be refused by the board or the deal will go ahead as scheduled.·In either ... or constructions, the two conjunctions should be followed by parallel elements. The following is regarded as incorrect: You may either have the ring or the bracelet (properly, You may have either the ring or the bracelet). The following is also incorrect: She can take either the examination offered to all applicants or ask for a personal interview (properly, She can either take ... ).·When used as a pronoun, either is singular and takes a singular verb: The two left-wing parties disagree with each other more than either does (not do) with the Right. When followed by of and a plural noun, either is often used with a plural verb: Either of the parties have enough support to form a government. But this usage is widely regarded as incorrect; in an earlier survey it was rejected by 92 percent of the Usage Panel.·When all the elements in an either ... or construction (or a neither ... nor construction) used as the subject of a sentence are singular, the verb is singular: Either Eve or Herb has been invited. Analogously, when all the elements in the either ... or construction are plural, the verb is plural too: Either the Clarks or the Kays have been invited. When the construction mixes singular and plural elements, however, there is some confusion as to which form the verb should take. It has sometimes been suggested that the verb should agree with whichever noun phrase is closest to it; thus one would write Either Eve or the Kays have been invited, but Either the Kays or Eve has been invited. This pattern is accepted by 54 percent of the Usage Panel. Others have maintained that the construction is fundamentally inconsistent whichever number is assigned to the verb and that such sentences should be rewritten accordingly. See Usage Notes at every, neither, or1, they.

[redimp]

KeithyB is correct.

Either refers to a choice of two only.

Any of - is a choice in excess of two.