Wednesday, September 12, 2018

word choice - "And" or "with" when comparing



If one were to try and compare mixed food with food and a side which would you use? For example, what is the difference between "Green Salad with Dressing" and "Green Salad and Dressing" and which one would you use to imply the dressing was on the side?


Answer




Depending on the type of salad and the competence/preferences of whoever prepared it, the dressing might already be mixed or not. In the case of a "green salad", for example, I think it would be straightforward incompetence to serve this mixed. But I don't think it's meaningful to distinguish between with and and in this context. Neither word implies anything about how it would actually be served.



If you really didn't want them mixed, you'd be safest actually specifying that, for example:



Salad with a dressing served separately


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