Re: USAGE: "each other" vs. "each ... the other"

On Tue, 9 Dec 2003 jcowan@REUTERSHEALTH.COM wrote:

> Christophe Grandsire scripsit:
>
> > >It is illogical on its face: if A is in front of B, B cannot be in front
> > >of A, assuming a single reference frame.
> >
> > Why should you?
>
> English just does.  It's interesting that "each is in front of the other"
> is unexceptionable (though unidiomatic), but "they are in front of each
> other" sounds paradoxical: a difference of scope, I suppose.
>
> Would you also say, in the case of two standing back to back, that they
> are behind each other?  If I read "Each man walked behind the other",
> I would think the author has blundered, and would correct it to "One
> man walked behind the other"; i.e. front to back in the ordinary way.
One fine day in the middle of the night,
Two dead men got up to fight.
[Something about blind men to judge and a mute to shout harrah! that
I've only heard once.]
Back to back they faced each other,
Drew their swords and shot each other.

--
Tristan

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