# Between? Among? Amongst? A grammar question. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 5, 2004, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-among-amongst-a-grammar-question/263265 "2004-09-05T21:21:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![monica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@monica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monica)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-among-amongst-a-grammar-question/263265/1 "2004-09-05T21:21:34Z")
When using “between” or “among” is between only for 2 things and among for more? What is the difference between “among” and “amongst?” ---
**Author:** ![seosamh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@seosamh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seosamh)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-among-amongst-a-grammar-question/263265/2 "2004-09-05T21:53:42Z")
Er, for what it’s worth, I reckon **between** two things but **among** three or more. Plus I don’t think there is any real difference between _among_ and _amongst_, here in Blighty at least. Similarly, _while_ and _whilst_. But I could be wrong - and frequently am. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-among-amongst-a-grammar-question/263265/3 "2004-09-05T22:30:55Z")
Ah, an opportunity to plug the excellent [World Wide Words](http://www.worldwidewords.org/index.htm) website (I am not affiliated etc.), which has a [page](http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-whi2.htm) about _while_ vs. _whilst_ which also mentions _among_ vs. _amongst_. It seems that there’s no difference in meaning between (among?) the two words. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-among-amongst-a-grammar-question/263265/4 "2004-09-05T22:40:53Z")
**Between** can also be used for multiple options in some cases: “The airline flew between New York, Chicago, and Denver.” Though there are three cities, the plane only flies between two at a time, saying “The plane flew among New York, Chicago, and Denver” implies it’s all over the place. “amongst” is a British version of “among.” The two words are synonyms. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-among-amongst-a-grammar-question/263265/5 "2004-09-05T22:53:20Z")
Here is what Merriam Webster has to say: > [@](#): > > 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 \, when more than two are enumerated \ \, and even when only one item is mentioned (but repetition is implied) \. Among is more appropriate where the emphasis is on distribution rather than individual relationships \. When among is automatically chosen for more than two, English idiom may be strained \ \. _amongst_ means the same as _among_ but perhaps is slightly archaic, or at least less commonly used, in the U.S. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-among-amongst-a-grammar-question/263265/6 "2004-09-05T22:55:07Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > “amongst” is a British version of “among.” The two words are synonyms. They’re synonymous, and many Brits regard ‘amongst’ as superfluous, or even as pretentious. Indeed, indiscriminate alternation between ‘among’ and ‘amongst’ can occassions suggest that a writer has not thoroughly understood the implications of individual words (important in an academic context), and therefore serves as a trigger to look for other sloppy almost-synonymous interchages. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-among-amongst-a-grammar-question/263265/7 "2004-09-05T23:03:22Z")
Amongst is also a rural Southern usage, as in the tag line to the joke _Knock him out John_—“Just shoot up here amongst us, one of us **got** to have some relief!” (John is up a tree with an angry racoon.) ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2004, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-among-amongst-a-grammar-question/263265/8 "2004-09-06T00:18:03Z")
Aren’t we forgetting _amid_ and _amidst_? ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2004, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-among-amongst-a-grammar-question/263265/9 "2004-09-06T02:52:47Z")
My impression, which may be inaccurate, is that _amongst_ implies a **complete** distribution to all potential recipients, or is synonymous with _amidst_ implying ‘in the middle of’ – insofar as it is not merely pretentious. “Between” implies a specific location or distribution. “The center of an equilateral triangle is equidistant from all three points, and lies between them in the visual center of the triangle.” “Among” just does not work there. “Among,” on the other hand, suggests a more general location or distribution – “the loaves and fishes were distributed among the crowd” or “he walked among the crowds gathered to meet him.” ---
**Author:** ![ageless6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@ageless6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ageless6)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2004, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-among-amongst-a-grammar-question/263265/10 "2004-09-06T05:22:55Z")
This may be a completely illegal hijack as it has nothing at all to do with the OP.I have saved a number of word/phrase etymology sites I just tried world wide words, which I hadn’t heard of before,to track the background of a phrase I couldn’t find anywhere else,and they didn’t have it either. The phrase is,“the jig is up”. Could it be an old racist saying,or possibly mean that the dance is over? Can anyone help? I apologize to the OP. ---
**Author:** ![ageless6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@ageless6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ageless6)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2004, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-among-amongst-a-grammar-question/263265/11 "2004-09-06T06:17:45Z")
It finally occurred to me to google it,and I was sent to a site called “take our word for it”, where I found tha it does indeed mean,"the game is up or “it’s all over”. The site’s at: [http://www.takeourword.com/TOW166/page2.html](http://www.takeourword.com/TOW166/page2.html) and I’m bookmarking that one,too. Damn, there are at least three mistakes in this little post. Well,screw 'em. ---
**Author:** ![seosamh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@seosamh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seosamh)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2004, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-among-amongst-a-grammar-question/263265/12 "2004-09-06T11:10:58Z")
Amongst is archaic? Possibly so, but “Among other things …” is widely said/written. ---
**Author:** ![seosamh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@seosamh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seosamh)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2004, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-among-amongst-a-grammar-question/263265/13 "2004-09-06T11:12:25Z")
:smack: That’s “Amongst other things …”