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either Saturday or Sunday

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arthurvv vart

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Sep 22, 2023, 6:04:57 PM9/22/23
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Lets say someone wants to pay me a visit and asks if
they can come over in the weekend.

I say:

1) Either Saturday or Sunday will be fine.
2) Saturday or Sunday will be fine.

Can't these sentences have two meanings?
a) Both Saturday and Sunday will be fine. (Pick the day you want)
b) If Saturday won't be fine, then Sunday will and vice versa. At least
one of the two days will be fine.
In this case, I will have to add something like: I will have to talk
to my wife and see which day works.

--

Gratefully.
Navi

Wandering in the Twilight Zone of the English language
Interested in sentences and constructs on the margins of acceptability
Obsesses with ambiguity

Hibou

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Sep 23, 2023, 2:02:16 AM9/23/23
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Le 22/09/2023 à 23:04, arthurvv vart a écrit :
>
> Lets say someone wants to pay me a visit and asks if
> they can come over in the weekend.

I'd say "at the weekend" rather than "in the weekend". You could say
"... come over this weekend".

> I say:
>
> 1) Either Saturday or Sunday will be fine.
> 2) Saturday or Sunday will be fine.

Both sentences are fine.

> Can't these sentences have two meanings?
> a) Both Saturday and Sunday will be fine. (Pick the day you want)
> b) If Saturday won't be fine, then Sunday will and vice versa. At least
> one of the two days will be fine.

No, you're reading too much into them. In normal use, 'or' is exclusive,
meaning either A or B but not both.

> In this case, I will have to add something like: I will have to talk
> to my wife and see which day works.

Either Saturday or Sunday will be fine. Just let me know which.

Peter T. Daniels

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Sep 23, 2023, 10:21:33 AM9/23/23
to
On Friday, September 22, 2023 at 6:04:57 PM UTC-4, arthurvv vart wrote:

> Lets say someone wants to pay me a visit and asks if
> they can come over in the weekend.

on the weekend

> I say:
>
> 1) Either Saturday or Sunday will be fine.
> 2) Saturday or Sunday will be fine.
>
> Can't these sentences have two meanings?
> a) Both Saturday and Sunday will be fine. (Pick the day you want)
> b) If Saturday won't be fine, then Sunday will and vice versa. At least
> one of the two days will be fine.
> In this case, I will have to add something like: I will have to talk
> to my wife and see which day works.

I have no idea what your question is. The difference is:

(1) Person asked you whether they should come Sat or Sun.

(2) Person asked what day(s) would be good for you.

micky

unread,
Sep 23, 2023, 10:14:23 PM9/23/23
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In alt.usage.english, on Fri, 22 Sep 2023 15:04:53 -0700 (PDT), arthurvv
vart <arthu...@gmail.com> wrote:

>Lets say someone wants to pay me a visit and asks if
>they can come over in the weekend.
>
>I say:
>
>1) Either Saturday or Sunday will be fine.
>2) Saturday or Sunday will be fine.
>
>Can't these sentences have two meanings?
>a) Both Saturday and Sunday will be fine. (Pick the day you want)
>b) If Saturday won't be fine, then Sunday will and vice versa. At least
>one of the two days will be fine.
>In this case, I will have to add something like: I will have to talk
>to my wife and see which day works.

Both 1 and 2 are fine. Yes the first couldl be ambigious but
fortunately you're not limited to one sentence.

--
Please say where you live, or what
area's English you are asking about.
So your question or answer makes sense.
. .
I have lived all my life in the USA,
Western Pa. Indianapolis, Chicago,
Brooklyn, Baltimore.
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