divide between or among？

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Spending was divided among(or between?) leisure, books and food.
I have seem them both in English books, so I am confused now.

Thanks.

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Type: Question • Score: 6 • Views: 12,411 • Replies: 53

[+3] - Roberta - 08/14/2009[quote="jinmin1988"] Spending was divided among(or between?) leisure, books and food. I have seem them both in English books, so I am confused now. Thanks. [/quote] Roger...
[+3] - Merry Andrew - 08/14/2009I'm still waiting.
[+3] - Merry Andrew - 08/14/2009Oh, I understand the metaphor, of course. But it's hardly any kind of a useful definition or distinction.
[+3] - roger - 08/14/2009Thanks, Roberta. You're not only right; you gave an answer useful to the original poster.
[+3] - roger - 08/14/2009I know of no one who is interested in Old English. Generally, people post these questions because they are learning to use the language. You may discuss prescriptive usage till your heart is...

@jinmin1988,

"Between" is by far the more common in the USA. You can use either.

0 Replies

@jinmin1988,

jinmin1988 wrote:

Spending was divided among(or between?) leisure, books and food.
I have seem them both in English books, so I am confused now.

Thanks.

Roger is right that "between" is the more common usage. However, there's a rule about this. Between is used when there are two items. Among is used for more than two.

So, although it might not follow common usage, the correct way to say it is:

Spending was divided among leisure, books and food.

If I was dealing with something written, I'd use "among." If I was talking, I'd probably say "between."

2 Replies

@Roberta,

Quote:

However, there's a rule about this. Between is used when there are two items. Among is used for more than two.

No, Roberta, there is no such rule. There is a prescription but like every other prescription, it doesn't apply to English.

[emphasis is mine]

Quote:

M-W

between

usage There is a persistent but unfounded notion that between can be used only of two items and that among must be used for more than two.

Between has been used of more than two since Old English; it is especially appropriate to denote a one-to-one relationship, regardless of the number of items. It can be used when the number is unspecified <economic cooperation between nations>, when more than two are enumerated <between you and me and the lamppost> <partitioned between Austria, Prussia, and Russia " Nathaniel Benchley>, and even when only one item is mentioned (but repetition is implied) <pausing between every sentence to rap the floor " George Eliot>. Among is more appropriate where the emphasis is on distribution rather than individual relationships <discontent among the peasants>. When among is automatically chosen for more than two, English idiom may be strained <a worthy book that nevertheless falls among many stools " John Simon> <the author alternates among modern slang, clichés and quotes from literary giants " A. H. Johnston

1 Reply

@JTT,

Could you kindly -- once and for all -- explain the difference between a 'rule' and a 'prescription'? I don't get it. I agree with Roberta regarding the among/between thing, whether you call it a rule or a prescription. To me, if something has been prescribed, it has been so ruled.

2 Replies

@Merry Andrew,

Quote:

Could you kindly -- once and for all -- explain the difference between a 'rule' and a 'prescription'? I don't get it.

Okay, Merry.

You do know that the kidneys process the air we breath. They separate the O2 from the other gases present in air and attach it to microscopic kidney stones; not to be confused with those big ones that hurt like the dickens.

A moment, autonomic response coming in, ... "Avoid cliches". [note to self: someday, I'm going to have to find out what that means.]

These tiny stones are pushed thru a tubular system that parallels the arteries and veins, which are reserved for fun things like alcohol and drugs. Waste gases are passed thru the urine tho' occasionally some leaks, which causes those embarrassing moments.

As these little stones run throughout the body, they are able to detect places where O2 is needed. They stop briefly while osmosis sucks the O2 off the little stones. Being depleted of O2 causes their transmission to flip into reverse which sends them - some commentators feel "headlong" back to the kidneys is correct but to be more precise, [precision is essential if we are ever to survive as a race] because they are in reverse, they go "taillong" back to the kidneys to be replenished with oxygen. [I should take this opportunity to advise the reader not to use abrevs like O2; the careful writer uses complete words]

1 Reply

@JTT,

I'm still waiting.

1 Reply

@Merry Andrew,

Quote:

Re: JTT (Post 3733074)
I'm still waiting.

You're not that thick, Merry.

1 Reply

@JTT,

Oh, I understand the metaphor, of course. But it's hardly any kind of a useful definition or distinction.

1 Reply

@Merry Andrew,

Quote:

Oh, I understand the metaphor, of course. But it's hardly any kind of a useful definition or distinction.

Pardon me, Merry. The quality of analysis that went into the prescriptions is precisely the kind you've just read.

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If you ever use the locution "divide among," the language police will come to your house and kill your dog.

1 Reply

@Setanta,

Quote:

If you ever use the locution "divide among," the language police will come to your house and kill your dog.

I'll venture that even the language police [prescriptive as they are] would not think to blame your dog for your stupidity.

0 Replies

I can see the divide among the posters here..

(There's a feud between them)

1 Reply

@Francis,

There is a discussion, Francis. An idiot appeared briefly but I suspect he's gone for good. His sensible half might reappear and that would be grand.

1 Reply

@JTT,

I suppose there's an outside chance that you think I was suggesting you were the idiot, Francis. I was not.

1 Reply

@JTT,

A bit patronizing, JTT. I'm not completely dumb, do you know? Mr. Green

2 Replies

@Roberta,

Thanks, Roberta. You're not only right; you gave an answer useful to the original poster.

1 Reply

@Francis,

I know you're not completely dumb, Francis. Smile

'outside chance' allowed for that.

0 Replies

@roger,

Quote:

Thanks, Roberta. You're not only right; you gave an answer useful to the original poster.

No, Roger, Roberta is mistaken. It's not even a question of formality, what might be used for writing versus what might be used for speech. It's just a prescription, or in other words, it presents a false image of how English actually works.

How do you figure that something that is false can be useful, to anyone?

0 Replies

I wonder why the "never use the passive voice" crowd aren't out in full force.

0 Replies

divide between or among？

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