In between

rich7   Tuesday, March 15, 2005, 03:01 GMT
I have seen this a thousand times, hence, my next question:

"I do have a beer in between meals"

" Try resting in between hours"

These are some of the examples to name a few, very well then, is there any difference if you put just "between.

" I do have a beer between meals"

Is there any kind of feeling,connotation,trend or the like?
Ed   Tuesday, March 15, 2005, 03:08 GMT
I don't think it makes that much of a difference if you omit "in", but it's more common for people to use "in", rather than omit it.
Travis   Tuesday, March 15, 2005, 03:56 GMT
One note is that "between" can be used to mark a comparison or contrast, as in "the difference between A and B", which "in between" is not really used for (and sounds sorta weird when it is used for it), while "in between" emphasizes the aspect of something being specifically between two different other things (and in this case, at least here, "in between" seems to be used more than just "between").
rich7   Tuesday, March 15, 2005, 05:31 GMT
One note is that "between" can be used to mark a comparison or contrast, as in "the difference between A and B"

Give examples pls...
Deborah   Tuesday, March 15, 2005, 05:44 GMT
This may be yet another example of my not realizing how younger generations speak these days, but I have to disagree with Ed. I think "between meals," without "in," is more common. There's also "between engagements." I've never heard anyone say "I'm in between engagements." The same goes for, e.g., "Valencia Street is between Mission and Guerrero," not "in between M. and G."
Travis   Tuesday, March 15, 2005, 06:04 GMT
Well, in those examples, Deborah, I'd prolly use "between" rather than "in between" myself, but in most cases like those, I'd use "in between" by default. One reason why I think that "between" rather than "in between" is used here is that "in between" may have a stronger emphasis on being /directly/ in between two different things, rather than just /somewhere/ between them.

As for "the difference between A and B", examples include "What's the difference between the subjunctive and conditional moods?" and "How far is it between Milwaukee and Madison?" In neither of these cases would one use "in between", as that specifically specifies being /placed/ between two different things, rather than the /difference/ or /distance/ between two different things.
Chamonix   Tuesday, March 15, 2005, 14:32 GMT
"In between" is used also when we talk about inside.
For exemple: I put the rose in between the pages.
And I agree between is used more to mark a comparation.
Deborah   Tuesday, March 15, 2005, 17:17 GMT
And I would say "between the pages."
Easterner   Tuesday, March 15, 2005, 21:53 GMT
Deborah: >>And I would say "between the pages."<<

Quite the same for me. I would not normally use "in between" as a preposition, it is rather an adverbial for placing something between two previously mentioned things, or to determine its degree. For example: "We saw a field and a forest, with a narrow road winding in between". Another example could be: "His feelings for her were not exclusively those of a physical attraction or an emotional longing, but something in between, or a bit of both".

Please correct me if the examples are not quite right.
Deborah   Wednesday, March 16, 2005, 01:51 GMT
Easterner, that is how I would use "in between."
rich7   Thursday, March 17, 2005, 06:57 GMT
Actually that's the one example I have always heard Easterner thanks..

As for "between engagements" I'd like you, Deborah, to explain what this expression means.
Deborah   Thursday, March 17, 2005, 09:29 GMT
rich7, "engagement," as I used it in "between engagements," means "employment for a performer or performance group for a limited period." Synonyms are "booking" and "gig." In the performing world, this expression can be a humorous euphemism for being unemployed: you can be "between engagements" for a long time.
rich7   Thursday, March 17, 2005, 09:46 GMT
Thank you very much indeed, point well understood.