Well, here's another word that bothers me. Either. It's not useless, but it's just another part of the english language that pisses me off. The english language sucks in a lot of ways. For example: their, there, they're. Begin, began, begun. Your, you're. Then, than.
It's not that their usages are non-existent, but it's that so many people make mistakes when writing them out that it irritates me.
Anyways, onto "either." My mom was taking a test the other day for some reason, and the test has this question on it:
36. There is a road on__________ of the river.
A. Both sides
B. Either side
C&D I forgot.
Anyways, the meaning is that a road goes along both sides of the river and you are supposed to choose the correct way to say this. What do you think it is? Both sides? WRONG! Either side. Either side means one or the other, not both. It really got me pissed off that that was the wrong answer. HOW?! Don't even try pulling the dictionary out on me, because it agrees with me. One or the other, not both.
meh...