Bombs

[Bridget]

Forgetting your prescritivist head, if you have one, for a moment, what would you say is the difference in meaning here, and does the second example sound odd in some way?

Luckily, the bomb landed between the houses.
? Luckily, the bomb landed among the houses.

Also, how many houses in each sentence and what would be their distribution in your mind?

[Rusty]

Forgetting your prescritivist head, if you have one, for a moment, what would you say is the difference in meaning here, and does the second example sound odd in some way?

Luckily, the bomb landed between the houses.
? Luckily, the bomb landed among the houses.

Also, how many houses in each sentence and what would be their distribution in your mind?
I would understand (1) there were two houses and the bomb landed between them, missing both. (2) There was a cluster of houses and the bomb landed somewhere in the middle, causing damage. "Luckily" is incongruous, unless there was a worse alternative.

[Bridget]

<2) "Luckily" is incongruous, unless there was a worse alternative.>

I agree. Unless the speaker was happy that the houses were hit.

<I would understand (1) there were two houses and the bomb landed between them, missing both.>

Could there also have been two rows of houses?

[Rusty]

<2) "Luckily" is incongruous, unless there was a worse alternative.>

I agree. Unless the speaker was happy that the houses were hit.

<I would understand (1) there were two houses and the bomb landed between them, missing both.>

Could there also have been two rows of houses?
If the listener knows that the houses are attached to each other and in rows, this would make sense.