How to use "between," including idioms

Question

Wanda from Puerto Rico asked: Which is correct, between the two or between both?

Answer

The short answer is that both of these uses are possible, depending on the context and the intended meaning, although some speakers might find between both a little awkward. Here are some example sentences with these constructions:

• There are two possible treatments. At some point doctor will choose between the two.
• At some point doctor will choose between the two treatments.

• There were two cars in the driveway. The dog was running back and forth between both.
• The dog was running back and forth between both cars.

Common uses of between

The longer answer is that many people have questions about the uses of between, so it is worth reviewing the most common ways it is used and some examples of each one.

1. Between is often used to refer to the time, space or differences that separate two things, people, places, ideas, etc.

• We should leave between 9 and 10 o'clock.
• He stood between his mother and his father.
• This plane flies back and forth between New York and Miami.
• There is very little difference between the two cars.

2. Between is also used to indicate a range of numbers or measurements.

• The package weighs somewhere between a pound and a pound and a half.
• Think of a number between 1 and 20.

3. Between can also be used to indicate something that is shared or combined.

• The property was divided equally between the son and the daughter.
• Between work and family life, she has no time for hobbies. (=adding together the time that she spends on work and the time she spends with her family, there’s no time left.)

4. Finally, between can be used to indicate two people or things that are competing in a game or contest.

• There is a game tonight between the Yankees and the Red Sox.

Idioms with between

Here are two common and colorful idiomatic expressions with between:

1. Between you and me (or “just between us”) means the speaker is telling a secret that the listener should not share with anyone else.

• Between you and me, he is a terrible actor. (Note: Because between is a preposition, most grammarians advise using object pronouns like me, him, and her after it.)

2. Between a rock and a hard place means "in a difficult position, with no good options" (because a rock is hard, too).

• Jonathan couldn’t think of a solution. He was between a rock and a hard place.