St. Elsewhere

Have you ever had the feeling that life is Elsewhere[1]? Or at least, have you ever wondered what else means? Else is a little word that pops up every once in a while.


It usually means more or other. And it appears in two circumstances. After compound pronouns:


Everybody else has already gone home.
Is there anything else I can do for you? No, nothing else, thanks.


Or after question words:


What else can I do for you?
Where else can we go?
Who else is with you?


And to answer with a simple question for more information:


What else? Where else? Who else?


Or else is often used in conditional statements to introduce a consequence, and is similar to if not:


Get moving[2], or else we’ll be late.


At the end of a phrase it has a threatening[3] tone:


You better leave me alone, or else!


But it can be answered defiantly, as well:


Or else what?!


Well, I don’t have anything else to say. Bye!


[1] en otro lugar, [2] muévete, [3] amenazante