either side/both sides

Question

She rested her legs on [either side /both sides] of my legs.

I placed the two bags of groceries on [either side/both sides] of my laptop.

Which is correct? Please provide an interpretation each for the choices.
Thanks.

Cool Breeze · Accepted Answer

Hi N2G
As a rule, both are correct. A third choice is sometimes used:
There are trees on either side / on each side / on both sides of the street.

CB

New2grammar · Answer

I somehow feel when the intended meaning is one on each side, the both sides version makes the total sound like the total number of object is two times what is actually available, that is in my case, the total becomes 4 instead of the intended two. Do you feel the same way?

Anonymous · Answer

If I have two plumbs in my hand and you ask if you can have ONE. I say, "yes you may have ONE". "Which ONE?" you ask. I say "either ONE". How does this mean both? either side is both but either plumb is one... right? this doesn't seem to make much sense.

Anonymous · Answer

Anonymous If I have two plumbs in my hand and you ask if you can have ONE. I say, "yes you may have ONE". "Which ONE?" you ask. I say "either ONE". How does this mean both? either side is both but either plumb is one... right? this doesn't seem to make much sense.

It's advised to check the dictionary for all the meanings/usages of the term "either".

1) either as an adjective means "each of two" (There were plum trees on either side of the road.

There were plum trees on each of the two sides of the road).

2) either as an adjective in common phrases also means "no matter which of two things" (Either tree will do for picking plums "It doesn't matter which tree we pick plums from").

3) either as a conjunction & adverb can mean "one or the other" (You can have either the plum in my right hand or the plum in my left.)

3) either as an adverb + a negative means "neither" (I don't want either of those plums. == I want neither of them.)

4) either as an adverb + a negative can also express similarity/likeness or agreement between two people/entities (You say you don't like plums? Well, I don't like them either!")

The common thread is that "either" always refers to TWO things related to each other in some way.

Moral of the story: words mean more than one thing but the context will determine the interpretation.

Anonymous · Answer

Neither is correct. The terms are not interchangeable and are confusing.

If you mean 'each side' why not say that. Either suggests choice of ONE. 'Each' clarifies your intent I think. 'Both' is just confusing - and ridiculous in the case of Legs. In the second example the reader doesn't know if you have 2 bags which you split one each side, or 4 bags split 2 each side.

Say 'Each side' to be clear to your listener or reader.

Fivejedjon · Answer

AnonymousNeither is correct.

Both are acceptable. CB's answer, posted nearly five years ago, is still relevant today.

Train gray · Answer

while using the word 'either' in a sentence like , either side of the road......,

I had a doubt whether it is either sides of the road, which one is correct usage, please advise

Anonymous · Answer

There were trees on either side of the road.

Megalonzerg · Answer

Which of the given choices is correct entirely depends what you are actually trying to say. My guess is that neither is correct in either example, so I will give an example of my own for "each vs. both" to get the ball rolling.

"She planted a tree on each side of the sidewalk." Means two trees were planted, one on each side.

Or, you could say "She planted trees on both sides of the sidewalk." You can't say "a tree" with both because it would mean one tree planted in two places. In this case we are not specifying how many trees were planted, but only that they were put on both sides.

Either means one or the other, but NOT both.

"She planted a tree on either side of the sidewalk." Means she planted one tree on one side or the other side, but the speaker doesn't specify which side.

It is very common today for people to use this last version to mean BOTH sides, but it is absolutely incorrect to do this. If you mean both sides, say both sides. If you say "Plant a tree on either side of this sidewalk" you are telling the gardener you don't care which side to plant the tree, but you only want one tree planted.

In your example:

- "She rested her legs on either side of my legs" means both of her legs were on one side of your legs, but you are not specifying which side, maybe because she moved them from one side to the other. You are not saying.

- "She rested her legs on both sides of my legs" means that she had one leg on each side of your two legs, or she had one leg on each side of one of your legs and then switched them to the other leg, or that she put both of her legs on one side of one of your legs, then the other side of that leg, then on one side of your other leg, and then the other side of that leg.

None of the choices really tells a story that doesn't require further explanation, and without more information I can't reliably guess how to word this correctly. My best guess is that you want to say "She sat on my lap with her legs straddling mine." The only thing this doesn't tell is if she was facing toward you or away.

Your laptop grocery bag example has the same problems. Listeners really can't tell what you are trying to say, so we will probably assume what you most likely meant. In that example, I'm guessing you had two bags of groceries and you were trying to say "I placed one bag of groceries on each side of my laptop." Computer, or legs? Not sure.

To use the word "either" or the word "both" in this context would require a great many more words to be precise about your meaning. "Each" is really the word you want, if I am guessing your intent correctly.

either side/both sides

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