a question of english grammar

Barb that's really a good q, I've often addressed that very issue myself but just offhand I'd use "neither…nor"

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&tbo=d&sclient=psy-ab&q=when+use+nor+instead+of+or&oq=when+use+nor+instead+of+or&gs_l=serp.3..0i8.622811.630880.1.631255.28.26.1.1.1.0.486.3461.10j15j4-1.26.0.les%3B..0.0...1c.1.2.serp.GUEDwbqETs0&psj=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=a51c2ff3e1a9ccdf&biw=1403&bih=696

As for the plural, I might avoid the problem as follows:

Neither the radios work nor the television

Either goes with or, neither goes with nor.

(1) If the pairings either/or or neither/nor form part of the subject of a verb and both elements are singular, then the verb must be singular too.

Examples:

Neither Mark nor Dawn is at the party.

Either the clerk or the secretary has the keys to the car.

Neither Simon nor Gary does as he is told.

(2) If the pairings either/or or neither/nor form part of the subject of a verb and at least one of the elements is plural, then strictly speaking the verb must be plural too.

Examples

Neither the lawyer nor the detectives are able to follow the sequence
of events.

There were neither cakes nor ice-cream at the party.

Neither the firemen nor the policemen know him.

HOWEVER some grammarians allow for relaxation of the second rule - and there is widespread leniency when only one of the elements is plural - under 'the proximity rule', the verb is governed by the element nearest to it.

Examples

Either crumpets or cake is sufficient.

There was neither ice-cream nor chocolates at the party.

Not really sure.

But: The radios do not work. Damn...neither does the television.

Know what I mean?

1. Neither must be followed by nor.
2. According to the strict rule, the verb must be plural ("work") because at least one of the neither/nor items (the radios) is plural. However, according to the proximity rule, because the item nearest the verb (the television) is singular, then the verb may be singular. Therefore, either of these is acceptable:

Neither the radios nor the television work
Neither the radios or the television works

Shouldn't that be "nor"

Yes it definitely should. The danger of cut-and-paste...

…..and the effrontery of 15-min edit limit