A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

come between someone • go between someone
come between someone —
1
. interfere in the affairs of two other
people: It is never wise to come between a man and his wife.
2. prevent a person from doing smth.: The true artist lets
nothing come between himself and his work.
go between someone —act as a messenger between two people:
She was given a bar of chocolate as her payment for going be-
tween her sister and her sister’s boyfriend.
come between something • go between something
come between something —happen between two events: The
third race comes between the high jump and the throwing
competition.
go between something —
1
. = come between something: The
scene goes between the entrance of the murderer and the dis-
covery of the body. 2. fit or pass into a position between two
things: This picture goes nicely between the portraits of your
father and mother.
come by • go by
come by —pay an informal visit: Why don’t you come by
some afternoon and have coffee with me.
go by —
1
. (of time) pass: Less than a day on the job goes by
before the announcement comes that the workers are, once
again, on strike. 2. (of an opportunity, etc.) pass without being
taken: Often the chance goes by, or the trail followed proves
false. 3. (of a fault, etc.) be ignored: I know you were late again
this morning, but we’ll let that go by.
come by something • go by something
come by something —
1
. obtain smth. (that is hard to get):
Jobs were not so easy to come by when I was a boy. 2. happen
to get smth. by accident: How did you come by that scratch
on your cheek?
go by something —
1
. act according to smth.: If we go by in-
structions, we must leave now. 2. base one’s judgment on
smth.: You make a mistake if you go by appearances.