As I pondered the election of the president of the United States I was glad I did not have to cast a vote. The two candidates would have left me betwixt and between a rock and a hard place. I could see some merit in each of the contenders but I had more reservations about each of them than positive thoughts. Among the concerns with both are what it might mean for world events and social impact. I am unsure of what direction Donald Trump might go with many issues. I believe Kamala Harris is more readable but not sure her positions on several matters are those with which I may agree. Now that President Trump has won, the world waits in anticipation of how he may respond to various issues.
A common 17th century nursery rhyme used betwixt. "Jack Sprat could eat no fat, his wife could eat no lean; and so betwixt the two of them, they licked the platter clean." Many people know the rhyme as “so between the two of them.” However the earliest versions use betwixt.
Betwixt and between both come from a combination of ‘be’ as a prefix to related Old English roots. The prefix ‘be’ is an unstressed form of ‘by’ meaning at, on, near, around, about. Twixt was used in Old English with reference to position or location, as in the cow was twixt the sheep. Also, with reference to association or relationship, as in the baby came into being twixt Joseph and Mary. And with reference to similarity or difference, as in red hair is twixt all the siblings in the Smith family. In the Old English tween was a preposition to indicate a position between two extremes. Both betwixt and between appeared before the 12th century, but use of betwixt dropped off toward the end of the 1600s. It only survived in the phrase ‘betwixt and between’ (neither one thing nor the other), which became popular in the 18th century. Now betwixt is uncommon but pops up now and then in the phrase betwixt and between.
Among is similar but there are differences betwixt between and among. There is a continuing but unfounded idea that between is to be used only of two items and that among must be used for more than two. However, Old English usage indicates that between had been used when comparing more than two items.
Between is especially appropriate to denote a one-to-one relationship, regardless of the number of items. Among is usually used with plurals. Many word experts agree that people should feel entirely comfortable following their own guidelines for when to use between and when to use among.
Between means in the time, space, or interval that separates. I told them to arrive between 5 and 6 o’clock. Among signifies in the midst of or surrounded by. They had little success hunting this year as the deer remained hidden among the trees.
Between suggests from one to another. WestJet flies frequently between Regina and Calgary. Among purports in company or association with others. Mother Teresa left the safety of the convent and lived among the poor.
Between implies sharing in common. The money in the estate was divided between her four grandchildren. Among denotes in giving portions to each. The pie was distributed among the guests requesting dessert.
Between connotes setting apart. His writings blur the line between fact and fiction. Among indicates by or through a mass of units or parts somewhat loosely associated with one another. The new provincial program provoked discontent among the students.
Both between and among infer common and joint action. They met in Belgium for talks between the three leaders. The shared lottery ticket purchases made a fortune among them.
Both between and among signify a point of comparison in a number or class of things. She chose the vehicle that was a year older because there was little difference between the two cars. Among other things he was president of the Lions Club.
Now I am a bit confused. If I have four cookies to give to the granddaughters, do I distribute them between the girls or among the girls? I guess it is my choice, as long as betwixt them, each gets two.
