rishonly  +  148144 Sat, 15 Oct 05 06:23 PM We have got phone connections between the entrance,research tunnel and lab room. Here,my understanding is there are two phone connections: One connection between entrance and lab room, and another connection between research tunnel and lab room. Am I correct? rishonly Joined on Sat, Mar 5 2005 KUMBAKONAM,INDIA Contributing Member 1,782 Regards, Krishna

	davkett  +  148147 Sat, 15 Oct 05 06:32 PM I think it should mean all three locations are connected by a phone line.  Each of the locations can call the other two.   davkett Joined on Tue, Jun 7 2005 Pennsylvania, USA Senior Member 2,788 "The rose stays fresh in its name..." -Bernard of Morlay

	rishonly  +  148164 Sat, 15 Oct 05 07:18 PM Thanks, Davkett. If there are three locations, why is the preposition 'between' used here? I am not getting that part. rishonly Prepositions

	davkett  +  148172 Sat, 15 Oct 05 07:30 PM Well, (is it just me?)-- I never thought between was limited to relating two things. From Merriam-Webster Dictionary--on 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 mod slang, clichés and quotes from literary giants -- A. H. Johnston>.   davkett Idioms

	davkett  +  148231 Sun, 16 Oct 05 01:32 AM  Welkins2139 wrote: I think " among " is the right word. I don't agree.  Between is preferable.  These lines, I'm sure, do not refer to conference calls, or three-way communications.   davkett

	Wwwdotcom  +  148236 Sun, 16 Oct 05 02:06 AM I agree, between is correct answer. Think of a triangle. Point A connects to B and C, but C is not in "between" A and B, nor is B in "between" A and C.  Compare that with a crowd of people at a sports event.  You might be somewhere among the crowd, but we would never say you are in between the crowd. Wwwdotcom Joined on Fri, Sep 30 2005 Kyoto, but originally from Detroit Full Member 336

	rishonly  +  148241 Sun, 16 Oct 05 03:25 AM Thanks all for your feedback. Per my original question, are there two telephone connections or three? rishonly

	davkett  +  148250 Sun, 16 Oct 05 03:50 AM Rishonly, Three locations are connected to each other by one circuit.  Picture again wwwdotcom's triangle.  A, B, and C are the corners of the triangle.  These are the connections:  A is connected to B along the AB leg of the triangle, A is connected to C along the AC leg, B is connected to A along BA, and to C along BC, C is connected to A along CA and to B along CB.  It is only one circuit with three phones on the circuit.  Does that answer your question?   davkett