Egotist

"One who talks much of himself." "A tribe of egotists for whom I have always had a mortal aversion."—"Spectator." Either. This word means, strictly, the one or the other of two. Unlike both , which means two taken collectively, either , like each , may mean two considered separately ; but in this sense each is the better word to use. "Give me either of them" means, Give me the one or the other of two. "He has a farm on either side of the river" would mean that he has two farms, one on each (or either) side of the river. "He has a farm on both sides of the river" would mean that his farm lies partly on the one side of the river and partly on the other. The use of either in the sense of each , though biblical and defensible, may be accounted little if any better than an affectation. Neither is the negative of either . Either is responded to by or , neither by nor ; as, " either this or that," " neither this nor that." Either and neither should not—strictly—be used in relation to more than two objects. But, though both either and neither are strictly applicable to two only, they have been for a very long time used in relation to more than two by many good writers; and, as it is often convenient so to use them, it seems probable that the custom will prevail. When more than two things are referred to, any and none should be used instead of either and neither ; as, " any of the three," not, " either of the three"; " none of the four," not, " neither of the four."