and/or question

If I were to write buy 2 blue and/or red towels, would I be saying:

Buy 2 red towels, 2 blue towels, or 1 red and 1 blue?

Or

Buy 2 red towels, 2 blue towels, or 2 blue and 2 red towels?

In most instances, you would be communicating that any combination of two blue and red towels fits the bill. Unlike a mathematical equation, english speech does not include parenthesis to disambiguate the permutations.

If clarity was required, one could be more exact:

• you may buy two towels, either or both of which may be red or blue

The and/or implies selection, however, and as such 4 towels would be the less expected choices. More likely, one wishing to communicate this option would say:

• you may buy two red towels, two blue towels, and/or both.

The inherent choice of and/or, however, would suggest that once the permutation is known, that it not be used. For example "He bought 2 red and/or blue towels" is rather silly. One would normally write what happened. Alternatively, "Customers could choose between 2 towels, red and/or blue."

In all cases, however, the ambiguity could be easily clarified by a better construction.