[Grammar] One another vs Each other

[Sneymarin]

Hello, I would like to ask a question regarding the differences between "one another" and "each other". Some friends and I were discussing regarding their differences when one said that "When speaking of an ordered series of events or stages, "one another" is the preferred form" and cited that in a survey conducted by the Usage Panel 70% of the panelists prefered "The waiters followed one another into the room" over "The waiters followed each other into the room", to which I said that this only shows a difference in prefered style more than an actual difference in usage. Another friend intervened with another example to back up that claim:

"Like a group of people hugging each other sounds like they're possibly in one big hug-circle.
Where a group of people hugging one another sounds like they're taking turns hugging different people
One another" sounds more like there's a sequence of actions happening, and "each other" sounds more like it's all happening at once"

So I would like to ask you all if this makes sense and if there really is such a distinction between "each other" and "one another" and what are your thoughts, as I think there isn't because they are both pretty much interchangeable and have the same meaning, if we're no counting the old rule that "each other" should be reservered when discussing 2 things and "one another" when discussing more than 2 things.

Thank you for your time

 

[GoesStation]

The phrases are synonyms to me.

 

[jutfrank]

I think the distinction you mention is a useful one, slight though it may be, and would agree with the 70%. The 'waiters' example sentence is a good one.

 

[Tdol]

I can see the case for the 70%, but wouldn't lose sleep about it. A ninety-year-old relative still swears by the distinction in the old rule you're discounting.