Using "or" or "nor" with three options

7

Which of these sentences is correct?

  1. Don't you ever call me "honey". Nor "sweetheart", nor "my dear".

  2. Don't you ever call me "honey". Or "sweetheart", or "my dear".

  3. Don't you ever call me "honey", nor "sweetheart", nor "my dear".

  4. Don't you ever call me "honey", or "sweetheart", or "my dear".

user2738748

Posted 2015-12-14T18:41:40.270

Reputation: 609

Answers

2

Option 4 sounds natural to my (American) ear. It is informal. The emphasis is on the word "ever".

Don't you ever call me "Honey", or "Sweetheart", or "My dear".

A very formal way to say this is:

My name is neither "Honey", nor "Sweetheart", nor "My dear".

Jasper

Posted 2015-12-14T18:41:40.270

Reputation: 23 316

Thanks. And what about options 1 and 2? Do I understand correctly that the first option is corrent (although informal) and the second one is wrong? – user2738748 – 2015-12-15T00:28:52.957

Option 2 is even less formal than option 4. I would not be surprised to hear option 2, though. Option 2 sounds choppier than option 4. Options 1 and 3 do not sound natural -- people who say "nor" tend to speak formally. – Jasper – 2015-12-15T15:21:25.890

Asked: 2015-12-14T18:41:40.270

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Active: 2015-12-15T05:11:33.153