I am sure that, in the last 6 1/2 years here, we've discussed the difference between "among" and "between," but I am confused. I wrote this: "...some of the differences between the boards are discussed." The editors changed the "between" to "among." My sense is that they are correct, but they both seem okay to me. What am I missing?

Might have to do with the number of boards. How many?

One of the old canards is that "between" can only be used for two things. For three or more, it must be "among". Total nonsense, of course.

Beat me to it arnie. "Nonsense" was the word I had in mind.

I mean the editor's reaction might've had something to do with the number of boards. Nonsense, or as the Russians say, zaum.

Well, there are 60 Boards. I really didn't mind changing it, but I had a hard time distinguishing differences between the Boards and differences among the Boards. These Boards all have some differences between them (for example, related to sanctions for discipline or requirements for education programs), though their missions are the same, as are their core standards.

My own feeling is that "among" is less specific as to location - be that literal or figurative.

For example, it would be fine to say that there are some buttercups among the daisies - but if the buttercups were between two or more sets of daisies we would need to have an idea where each was.

Similarly, if there are differences between Boards, I think we need to know which Boards differ one from another. But if we simply say that there are differences among the Boards then we are simply saying that differences, somewhere or other, exist.

The more I thought about this, perhaps "differences across the boards" is the best way of saying it.

We were discussing the wording of a survey today at work, and the researcher used "between" in the same way that I did in this thread. One of the reviewers said, "Well, of course, you can't use between with more than two things." I just sighed and said, "The descriptivists wouldn't agree with you." They're used to me by now, and I got a few knowing smiles.

That Strunk and White really did us in, didn't they?

Whereas it's not an unbreakable rule. it's not bad guidance to my mind. It's a bit like the other "rules" we learn - don't start sentences with a conjucntion; don't end sentences with a proposition; don't us a comma before "and". They are none of them unbreakable rules - but you need to know how and when to break them.

As I wrote earlier, I do believe there's a difference in meaning between "among" and "between" (I'd not have written "...a difference in meaning among...", after all) and the "only use 'between' when you are speaking of only two things" rule does warn us to examine our construction and see whether it might be improved.