Either or vs OR

[Dancingbambarina]

Dear PowerFam,

Is there a difference between, either the dog or the cat (i.e. inludes both as a possibility)

and just OR ?

I guess another way of asing this is: Does OR include the possibility for both?

Thanks very much

[Adam Tyson]

Most uses of "either" are just the same as "or," and they allow the possibility of both.

"Either the dog or the cat destroyed my slippers." - if it wasn't the dog, it was the cat, and if it wasn't the cat, it was the dog. And maybe they teamed up and did it together.

"The dog or the cat has to go." - if the dog doesn't go, the cat must, and if the cat doesn't go, the dog must. And maybe we can just put them both up for adoption and be done with them.

But then there's this:

"A fish is a better pet than either the dog or the cat." This mean means "and" - the fish is better than both of them! That's the tricky nature of "than either."