"It was a gift from a friendly competitor," he said.

They seemed friendly competitors; better than that, buddies.

Now the two have gone from friendly competitors to collaborators.

The two were friendly competitors for the rank as the nation's highest-paid university president, although Boston's enrollment of 30,000 is much bigger than Adelphi's 4,275.

He describes himself as "a warm, caring person, friendly but very much a competitor."

"That was hardly the wink of a friendly competitor," observed Moon.

Mr. Fossett expects to have a midair visit at dawn today by two friendly competitors.

But perhaps even better, solid evidence of one's progress may put friendly competitors' doubts to rest.

They were friendly competitors who managed to work well together.

Two stations that were friendly competitors for years are now cooperating by simulcasting.