Sir, - The appalling decline in writing standards and the apparent policy of our national newspapers to dispense with proof-readers are evident any day of the week in the pages of our newspapers. Unfortunately this language abuse often seems to pass, if not unnoticed, at least without comment. So I found it somewhat surprising that, in his letter (September 15th), Deasmhumhain Mac Gearailt should overlook this rich mine and instead rebuke RTE radio and the gardai for what he perceived as a blunder. I fear, however, that the gaffe was Mr Mac Gearailt's.
According to Mr Mac Gearailt, RTE had reported that gardai had placed signs - stating that there would be no admittance to nonresidents - at either end of Slane, but he thought it would have been a good idea to put the signs at both ends. He wrote: "It would appear that Radio Eireann was not aware at which end the sign would be put".
The Concise Oxford Dictionary is quite clear on this. The word either may mean (1) one or the other of two (you may have either book); or (2) each of two (either side of the road). It seems to me that the gardai and RTE were using the word correctly, in the latter sense. - Yours, etc., Myles Crowe,
Stillpoint, Courtmacsherry, Co Cork.