# Neither vs. either
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neither-vs-either/17456
**Category:** Great Debates
**Created:** [January 4, 2000, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neither-vs-either/17456 "2000-01-04T01:17:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@anyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyi)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2000, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neither-vs-either/17456/1 "2000-01-04T01:17:00Z")
I have been searching for an answer to this question for at least seven years, and no one has been able to help me.
If someone makes a negative statement with which you agree, for example, “I don’t like Celine Dion,” is the appropriate reply, “Me neither,” or “Me either”? I would guess that the latter is correct because the phrase appears to be an abbreviated form of the sentence, “I don’t like her either.” Yet the “Me neither” version seems to be the standard.
Help! I’m the type of person who goes ballistic when she hears the phrase “an historic” on the news.
Annie
* * *
On lawyering: “Never take a client who stops to reload.”
– Patrick Baude
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### Author:  [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2000, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neither-vs-either/17456/2 "2000-01-04T01:26:00Z")
Neither. 🙂
I would suggest the correct response would use the nominative case:
“I don’t like Bill Clinton.”
“Neither do I.”
Using _I_ instead of _me_ makes it clearer that _neither_ is appropriate.
- Rick
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### Author:  [@Lawrence](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lawrence)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2000, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neither-vs-either/17456/3 "2000-01-04T01:39:00Z")
Aw, come on, Brick, don’t get all prescriptive on us here. People in New England and some other parts of the North say “Me either”. People in the rest of the US say “Me neither”. Generally, that is.
Which is correct? No word, expression, or pronunciation is correct. If the people you’re talking to understand you, you’re correct. So you say whatever variant that you know that others will understand.
I’d agree with Brick that in written English I’d use the “neither, auxiliary, subject pronoun” scheme rather than the “object pronoun, neither” scheme.
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### Author:  [@NanoByte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NanoByte)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2000, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neither-vs-either/17456/4 "2000-01-04T10:49:00Z")
I’d say, “Nor I,” or maybe “Likewise,” or “Same here,” except I **like** Céline Dion. . .at least her singing. Perhaps in her case, it should be something like ‘Et ne moi pas,’ but I don’t know French. ‘Me neither’ certainly wouldn’t be considered standard English here in [CA.US](http://CA.US).
Ray (no xmas nor’easter blowin’)
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### Author:  [@TomH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TomH)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2000, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neither-vs-either/17456/5 "2000-01-04T12:02:00Z")
In British English, at least, the correct version (_pace_ the advice above) is “me neither”. I have heard Americans say “me either” in these situations (and it always jars), but never a non-American English speaker.
Think about it: “me either” doesn’t mean the same as “me as well” or “me too”.
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### Author:  [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2000, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neither-vs-either/17456/6 "2000-01-04T13:40:00Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Which is correct? No word, expression, or pronunciation is correct. If the people you’re talking to understand you, you’re correct. So you say whatever variant that you know that others will understand.
I’m not sure I agree with that sentiment, at least insofar as it applies to the OP. The OP acknowledged that two different phrases are used, both of which are understood by the listener, and asked which was correct. Implicit in that question is the rejection of the “anything is correct as long as you’re understood by the listener” school of thought.
- Rick
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### Author:  [@TomH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TomH)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2000, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neither-vs-either/17456/7 "2000-01-04T14:28:00Z")
> [@](#):
>
> No word, expression, or pronunciation is correct. If the people you’re talking to understand you, you’re correct.
Most of the time, I just point and grunt. People seem to get the message eventually.
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### Author:  [@BigRoryG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigRoryG)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2000, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neither-vs-either/17456/8 "2000-01-04T17:13:00Z")
Nano - The correct French is Moi non plus which technically translates into me (moi) neither (negative additional).
As for how you like Céline Dion, I shall stop short of the pit, suffice it to say, blaech.
* * *
“C’mon, it’s not even tomorrow yet…” - Rupert
If you need a graphic solution, [http:\ alk.to\Piglet](http://talk.to%5CPiglet)
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### Author:  [@Boris\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boris_B)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2000, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neither-vs-either/17456/9 "2000-01-04T17:35:00Z")
> [@](#):
>
> I would guess that the latter is correct because the phrase appears to be an abbreviated form of the sentence, “I don’t like her either.” Yet the “Me neither” version seems to be the standard.
Well, if you abbreviate “I do not like her either” you should include the “not” concept somewhere in the abbreviation. Hence the “n” at the beginning of “neither”. If you said “me either” it would mean, “I do like her either” or “Either you or me likes her” which is kind of a weird concept.
But people are likely to understand you either way you say it.
* * *
- Boris B, Hellacious Ornithologist
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### Author:  [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2000, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neither-vs-either/17456/10 "2000-01-05T20:11:00Z")
Gotta agree with Ray, having grown up in CA, I wouldn’t say that ‘me either’ or ‘me neither’ is necessarily what you would hear. I would probably say, “Nor do I” also. One might say, if one was minded, “I don’t like her, either.” “Me either” and “me neither” are both horrible use of the English language, for reasons stated cogently above. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2000, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neither-vs-either/17456/11 "2000-01-05T20:45:00Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Gotta agree with Ray, having grown up in CA, I wouldn’t say that ‘me either’ or ‘me neither’ is necessarily what you would hear. I would probably say, “Nor do I” also. One might say, if one was minded, “I don’t like her, either.” “Me either” and “me neither” are both horrible use of the English language, for reasons stated cogently above.
Dare I point out that “…if one **were** minded…” uses the subjunctive mood, seemingly more appropriate in the sentence above?
This truly is an insignificant point… but as long as we’re talking grammar, I thought I’d mention it.
- Rick
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### Author:  [@Lawrence](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lawrence)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2000, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neither-vs-either/17456/12 "2000-01-07T02:56:00Z")
Well, DSY, get a life, because those of us who use the English language are going to keep using “Me neither” or “Me either”, depending on where we come from, whether your lawyer ass likes it or not.
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### Author:  [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)
#### Post date: [January 12, 2000, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neither-vs-either/17456/13 "2000-01-12T09:54:00Z")
“I don’t like her.”
Neither you nor I like her.
She is pleasing to neither your nor me.
Nor do I.
= Me neither.
* * *
“I don’t like her.”
Either one of us (you and me) don’t like her.
Me, too.
= Me either.
* * *
Both are correct depending on what is mutually understood and not spoken.
However, “Me, too,” or any other direct way of saying that you agree and share in that person’s sentiment is infinitely more preferable than either the either or neither statement.
Peace.
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### Author:  [@G.B.H.Hornswoggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G.B.H.Hornswoggler)
#### Post date: [January 12, 2000, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neither-vs-either/17456/14 "2000-01-12T21:59:00Z")
The correct answer is “Me, neither.”
As to the “anything’s right if people understand you” crowd:
You’re generally understood if you say “I could care less,” also.
You’re understood to be an idiot.
* * *
…but when you get blue, and you’ve lost all your dreams, there’s nothing like a campfire and a can of beans!
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### Author:  [@Mr.Zambezi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Zambezi)
#### Post date: [January 12, 2000, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neither-vs-either/17456/15 "2000-01-12T22:30:00Z")
“me niether” would seem to be preferable for the reason mentioned above." But this is is still gramatically wrong.
“Me niether” is an abbreviation of the sentence “me not like her niether.”
It is the same problem one has with the question “who is there?” Most people say “me” which leaves the verb "to be as understood. It is short for “me is here” or “it is me” both of which are incorrect because they use the objectival form in place of the subjectival.
The correct answer is “it is I”
Following this logic, the Response to the OP question is either:
Nor do I" or
" I niether"
but is neither
“me either” nor
“Me niether”
some other responses that are preferable
1. Damn straight
2. I’m down with that
3. right back at you, homes
4. THat makes two of us
5. [two fingerss held up in front of your eyes to show that you see eye to eye]
6. 'sright bro
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### Author:  [@Frankie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frankie)
#### Post date: [January 12, 2000, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neither-vs-either/17456/16 "2000-01-12T22:52:00Z")
'sright Bro…
I’m dying here! Thanks!
* * *
-Frankie
Lack of charisma can be fatal
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### Author:  [@TomH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TomH)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2000, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neither-vs-either/17456/17 "2000-01-13T11:13:00Z")
**moriah** , I still don’t see how “me either” means the same as “me too”. _Either_ is a disjunction meaning “one or other of the two”. “Me either” is just garbage, like “I could care less”. It identifies the speaker as an idiot who has adopted the use of a well-established phrase after having heard it incorrectly and not given a moment’s thought to its meaning. For what it’s worth, the OED gives the following examples:
> [@](#):
>
> 1909 L. M. Montgomery Anne of Avonlea x. 98 ‘Davy declares he never saw her since I left.’ ‘Neither I did,’ avowed Davy.
>
> 1926 J. Black You can’t Win xiii. 165 ‘I wouldn’t plead guilty to anything if I were you,’ I advised him. ‘Me, neither,’ said his partner.
>
> 1973 R. Busby Pattern of Violence iv. 61 ‘Can you place either of them?’ The young detective shook his head. ‘Me neither.’
**Mr Zambezi** , Forgive me if you’re being deliberately ironic (as your failure even to _spell_ the word correctly would suggest), but it is a sophomoric error to assume that every lexical item in spoken English should correspond to or “stand for” a well-formed sentence with a subject and a verb. Even if “me neither” did stand for a sentence, it would be “I do not like her either”, not “me not like her either”. Likewise, “I am here”, not “me is here”.
Please tell me you were joking.
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### Author:  [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2000, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neither-vs-either/17456/18 "2000-01-18T05:24:00Z")
Da Ace posted
> [@](#):
>
> The correct answer is “Me, neither.”
>
> As to the “anything’s right if people understand you” crowd: You’re generally understood if you say “I could care less,” also.
>
> You’re understood to be an idiot.
Well, I’m the one who posted the ‘generally understood’ remark, and am surprised to see such a badly disguised personal attack outside the pit. So, allow me to vaguely vilify in return, but with actual wit and erudition:
By what grounds do you claim that “_me either_ is incorrect” (or idiotic as you put it)? (Simply claiming that one way is correct without saying why is not very helpful.)
By whatever grounds you use to dismiss _me either_, you must also dismiss _me neither_ as also incorrect – as another poster has pointed out – because, grammatically, it _should_ be _I neither_ since the speaker is including him or herself as the nominative of the predicate.
Of course, if it is claimed (such as by TomH) that since _either_ is solely conjunctive and therefore can not be used advectivally or adverbally, then the same is true of _neither_, making it also incorrect.
Although, if you allow me to resort to an authority such as the American Heritage Dictionary, there is an adverbial definition of **either** :
> [@](#):
>
> adv. 1. Likewise; also. Used as an intensive following negative statements: _If you don’t order a dessert, I won’t **either.** _
Hmmm… if _either_ can mean _also_, then I guess, _me either_ is grammatically correct after all! I guess it would have been idiotic to not have checked a dictionary in the first place before making bold-faced assertions! It certainly would save people of some crowd some embarrassment.
Besides, there’s another reason why _me either_ works: Have you ever heard of an idiom? (No, not with a ‘t’ at the end.) An idiom is a phrase in a language that can not be grammatically or syntactically broken down to its constitutive elements in a logical manner.
More than one person has posted that they have heard either one phrase or the other or even both ways. Both are _grammatically incorrect_, yet acceptable usage – though a bit slangy and not appropriate for formal occasions. They’re idiomatic, not idiotic.
For example, _It’s I_ is grammatically correct, but is very wrong in common usage. Even Bill Safire, who writes the language column for the _New York Times Sunday Magazine_, concedes that _It’s me_ is now ‘correct English’ because of its widespread usage. _It’s me_ has become an idiom.
Now, the dangling ‘idiot’ just may fly as acceptable usage outside the pit. But I’m sure the moderators wouldn’t want to see it appear here again. Me either. 😛
Peace.
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### Author:  [@TomH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TomH)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2000, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neither-vs-either/17456/19 "2000-01-18T11:02:00Z")
> [@](#):
>
> if either can mean also, then I guess, me either is grammatically correct after all
That’s my point: _either_ doesn’t mean the same as _also_. “Me either” is just wrong.
“Me neither” is accepted usage. I have provided two examples in my post above from the OED. Now can anybody who contends that “me either” is correct provide similar examples?
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### Author:  [@G.B.H.Hornswoggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G.B.H.Hornswoggler)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2000, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neither-vs-either/17456/20 "2000-01-18T19:00:00Z")
**moriah** :
The “idiot” remark wasn’t aimed at anyone personally. (I rarely notice who wrote what, since the identifiers are so far over in the margin.) My point was that a person who uses clearly substandard English is generally regarded as not being overly bright.
I still stand by that assertion.
* * *
…but when you get blue, and you’ve lost all your dreams, there’s nothing like a campfire and a can of beans!
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