linguistics Linguistics is the scientific study of language. The areas of linguistic analysis are syntax (rules governing the structure of sentences), semantics (meaning), Morphology (linguistics), morphology (structure of words), phonetics (speech sounds ...

and

stylistics Stylistics, a branch of applied linguistics, is the study and interpretation of texts of all types, but particularly literary texts, and spoken language with regard to their linguistic and tonal style, where style is the particular variety of l ...

, an irreversible binomial, frozen binomial, binomial freeze, binomial expression, binomial pair, or nonreversible word pair is a pair of words used together in fixed order as an

idiom An idiom is a phrase or expression that largely or exclusively carries a Literal and figurative language, figurative or non-literal meaning (linguistic), meaning, rather than making any literal sense. Categorized as formulaic speech, formulaic ...

atic expression or

collocation In corpus linguistics, a collocation is a series of words or terms that co-occur more often than would be expected by chance. In phraseology, a collocation is a type of compositional phraseme, meaning that it can be understood from the words t ...

. The words have a

semantic Semantics is the study of linguistic Meaning (philosophy), meaning. It examines what meaning is, how words get their meaning, and how the meaning of a complex expression depends on its parts. Part of this process involves the distinction betwee ...

relationship usually involving the words ''and'' or ''or''. They also belong to the same

part of speech In grammar, a part of speech or part-of-speech ( abbreviated as POS or PoS, also known as word class or grammatical category) is a category of words (or, more generally, of lexical items) that have similar grammatical properties. Words that are ...

: nouns (''milk and honey''), adjectives (''short and sweet''), or verbs (''do or die''). The order of word elements cannot be reversed. The term "irreversible binomial" was introduced by Yakov Malkiel in 1954, though various aspects of the phenomenon had been discussed since at least 1903 under different names: a "terminological imbroglio".

Ernest Gowers Sir Ernest Arthur Gowers (; 2 June 1880 – 16 April 1966) was a British civil servant and author who is best remembered for his book ''Plain Words,'' first published in 1948, and his revision of Henry Watson Fowler, Fowler's classic ''Modern En ...

used the name Siamese twins (i.e.,

conjoined twins Conjoined twins, popularly referred to as Siamese twins, are twins joined '' in utero''. It is a very rare phenomenon, estimated to occur in anywhere between one in 50,000 births to one in 200,000 births, with a somewhat higher incidence in south ...

) in the 1965 edition of Fowler's ''Modern English Usage''. The 2015 edition reverts to the scholarly name, "irreversible binomials", as "Siamese twins" had become politically incorrect. Many irreversible binomials are catchy due to

alliteration Alliteration is the repetition of syllable-initial consonant sounds between nearby words, or of syllable-initial vowels if the syllables in question do not start with a consonant. It is often used as a literary device. A common example is " Pe ...

rhyming A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds (usually the exact same phonemes) in the final stressed syllables and any following syllables of two or more words. Most often, this kind of rhyming (''perfect rhyming'') is consciously used for a musica ...

, or ablaut reduplication, so becoming

cliché A cliché ( or ; ) is a saying, idea, or element of an artistic work that has become overused to the point of losing its original meaning, novelty, or literal and figurative language, figurative or artistic power, even to the point of now being b ...

s or

catchphrase A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...

s. Idioms like ''rock and roll'', ''the birds and the bees'', and collocations like ''mix and match'', and ''wear and tear'' have particular meanings apart from or beyond those of their constituent words. Ubiquitous collocations like ''loud and clear'' and ''life or death'' are fixed expressions, making them a standard part of the

vocabulary A vocabulary (also known as a lexicon) is a set of words, typically the set in a language or the set known to an individual. The word ''vocabulary'' originated from the Latin , meaning "a word, name". It forms an essential component of languag ...

of native English speakers. Some English words have become

obsolete Obsolescence is the process of becoming antiquated, out of date, old-fashioned, no longer in general use, or no longer useful, or the condition of being in such a state. When used in a biological sense, it means imperfect or rudimentary when comp ...

in general but are still found in an irreversible binomial. For example, ''spick'' is a

fossil word A fossil word is a word that is broadly obsolete but remains in current use due to its presence within an idiom or phrase. An example for a word sense is 'ado' in 'much ado'. An example for a phrase is ' in point' (relevant), which is retained ...

that never appears outside the phrase ''spick and span''. Some other words, like ''vim'' in ''vim and vigor'' or ''abet'' in ''aid and abet'', have become rare and archaic outside the collocation. Numerous irreversible binomials are used in

legalese Legal writing involves the analysis of fact patterns and presentation of arguments in documents such as legal memoranda and briefs. One form of legal writing involves drafting a balanced analysis of a legal problem or issue. Another form of leg ...

. Due to the use of

precedent Precedent is a judicial decision that serves as an authority for courts when deciding subsequent identical or similar cases. Fundamental to common law legal systems, precedent operates under the principle of ''stare decisis'' ("to stand by thin ...

common law Common law (also known as judicial precedent, judge-made law, or case law) is the body of law primarily developed through judicial decisions rather than statutes. Although common law may incorporate certain statutes, it is largely based on prece ...

, many lawyers use the same collocations found in legal documents centuries old. Many of these

legal doublet A legal doublet is a standardized phrase used frequently in English legal language consisting of two or more words that are irreversible binomials and frequently synonyms, usually connected by ''and'', such as ''cease and desist''. The order of th ...

s contain two synonyms, often one of

Old English Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...

origin and the other of

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

origin: ''deposes and says'', ''ways and means''. While many irreversible binomials are literal expressions (like ''washer and dryer, rest and relaxation, rich and famous, savings and loan''), some are entirely figurative (like ''come hell or high water, nip and tuck,

surf and turf Surf and turf, sometimes called reef and beef, is a main course combining seafood and red meat, typically beefsteak. While lobster and filet mignon are a standard combination, variations common to steakhouse menus include Shrimp and prawn as foo ...

'') or mostly so (like ''between a rock and a hard place, five and dime''). Somewhat in between are more subtle

figures of speech A figure of speech or rhetorical figure is a word or phrase that intentionally deviates from straightforward language use or literal meaning to produce a rhetorical or intensified effect (emotionally, aesthetically, intellectually, etc.). In the ...

synecdoche Synecdoche ( ) is a type of metonymy; it is a figure of speech that uses a term for a part of something to refer to the whole (''pars pro toto''), or vice versa (''totum pro parte''). The term is derived . Common English synecdoches include '' ...

metaphor A metaphor is a figure of speech that, for rhetorical effect, directly refers to one thing by mentioning another. It may provide, or obscure, clarity or identify hidden similarities between two different ideas. Metaphors are usually meant to cr ...

s, or

hyperbole Hyperbole (; adj. hyperbolic ) is the use of exaggeration as a rhetorical device or figure of speech. In rhetoric, it is also sometimes known as auxesis (literally 'growth'). In poetry and oratory, it emphasizes, evokes strong feelings, and cre ...

s (like ''cat and mouse, sick and tired, barefoot and pregnant''). The terms are often the targets of

eggcorn An eggcorn is the alteration of a word or phrase through the mishearing or reinterpretation of one or more of its elements,, sense 2 creating a new phrase which is plausible when used in the same context. Thus, an eggcorn is an unexpectedly fitti ...

malapropism A malapropism (; also called a malaprop, acyrologia or Dogberryism) is the incorrect use of a word in place of a word with a similar sound, either unintentionally or for comedic effect, resulting in a nonsensical, often humorous utterance. An exam ...

s, mondegreens, and

folk etymology Folk etymology – also known as (generative) popular etymology, analogical reformation, (morphological) reanalysis and etymological reinterpretation – is a change in a word or phrase resulting from the replacement of an unfamiliar form by a mo ...

. Some irreversible binomials can have minor variations without loss of understanding: ''time and time again'' is frequently shortened to ''time and again''; a person who is ''

tarred and feathered Tarring and feathering is a form of public torture where a victim is stripped naked, or stripped to the waist, while wood tar (sometimes hot) is either poured or painted onto the person. The victim then either has feathers thrown on them or is ...

'' (verb) can be said to be covered in ''tar and feathers'' (noun). However, in some cases small changes to wording change the meaning. The accommodating attitude of an activity's participants would be called ''give and take'', while ''give or take'' means "approximately". Undertaking some act whether it is ''right or wrong'' excludes the insight from knowing the difference between ''right and wrong''; each pair has a subtly differing meaning. And while ''five and dime'' is a noun phrase for a low-priced variety store, ''nickel and dime'' is a verb phrase for penny-pinching.

Structure

The words in an irreversible binomial belong to the same

, have some semantic relationship, and are usually connected by ''and'' or ''or''. They are often near-

synonyms A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means precisely or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are a ...

antonyms In lexical semantics, opposites are words lying in an inherently incompatible binary relationship. For example, something that is ''even'' entails that it is not ''odd''. It is referred to as a 'binary' relationship because there are two members i ...

, alliterate, or

rhyme A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds (usually the exact same phonemes) in the final Stress (linguistics), stressed syllables and any following syllables of two or more words. Most often, this kind of rhyming (''perfect rhyming'') is consciou ...

. Examples below are split into various tables; some may belong in more than one table but are listed only once.

With opposites and antonyms

* ''addition and subtraction'' * '' assets and liabilities'' * ''back and forth'' * '' balls and strikes'' * ''beginning to end'' * ''

black and white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white to produce a range of achromatic brightnesses of grey. It is also known as greyscale in technical settings. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, ...

'' * ''big and small'' * ''a blessing and a curse'' * ''boom or bust'' * ''bride and groom'' * '' brother and sister'' * ''butt and pass'' * ''buy and sell'' * ''

catch and release Catch and release is a practice within recreational fishing where after capture the fish is Fish hook, unhooked and returned live to the water. Originally adopted in the United Kingdom by Coarse fishing, coarse fishermen to Overfishing, preser ...

'' * '' cause and effect'' * ''

church and state The separation of church and state is a philosophical and Jurisprudence, jurisprudential concept for defining political distance in the relationship between religious organizations and the State (polity), state. Conceptually, the term refers to ...

'' * ''cops and robbers'' * ''come and go'' * ''coming and going'' * ''cowboys and Indians'' * ''days and nights'' * ''deep and wide'' * ''dos and don'ts'' * ''ebb and flow'' * ''fire and ice'' * ''first and last'' * ''floor to ceiling'' * ''food and drink'' * '' fore and aft'' * ''foreign and domestic'' * ''forward and backward'' * ''friend or foe'' * ''front to back'' * ''fruits and vegetables'' * ''give and take'' * ''

good and evil In philosophy, religion, and psychology, "good and evil" is a common dichotomy. In religions with Manichaeism, Manichaean and Abrahamic influence, evil is perceived as the dualistic cosmology, dualistic antagonistic opposite of good, in which ...

'' * ''hail and farewell'' * '' hand and foot'' * ''head over heels'' * ''Heaven and Hell'' * ''here and there'' * '' hide and seek'' * ''hill and dale'' * ''him and her'' * ''high and low'' * ''hills and valleys'' * ''his and hers'' * ''hither and thither'' * ''hither and yon'' * ''hot and cold'' * ''hurry up and wait'' * ''husband and wife'' * ''in and out'' * ''in the (right/wrong) place at the (right/wrong) time'' * ''ladies and gentlemen'' * ''land and sea'' * ''life or death'' * ''long and short'' * ''

lost and found A lost and found (American English) or lost property (British English), or lost articles (also Canadian English) is an office in a public building or area where people can go to retrieve Lost, mislaid, and abandoned property, lost articles th ...

'' * ''love and hate'' * ''love and war'' * ''man and wife'' * '' mind over matter'' * '' mom and pop'' * ''naughty or nice'' * ''near and far'' * ''night and day (difference)'' * '' nip and tuck'' * ''north to south'' * ''now and then'' * '' now and later'' * ''open and shut'' * ''over and under'' * ''

park and ride A park and ride, also known as incentive parking or a commuter lot, is a parking lot with public transport connections that allows commuters and other people heading to city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, Rail transport, r ...

'' * ''

port and starboard Port and starboard are Glossary of nautical terms (M-Z), nautical terms for watercraft and spacecraft, referring respectively to the left and right sides of the vessel, when aboard and facing the Bow (watercraft), bow (front). Vessels with bil ...

'' * ''pros and cons'' * ''push and pull'' * '' rank and file'' * ''rise and fall'' * '' savings and loan'' * ''in sickness and in health'' * '' soap and water'' * ''start to finish'' * ''(from) stem to stern'' * ''stop and go'' * ''

strike and dip In geology, strike and dip is a measurement convention used to describe the plane orientation or Attitude (geometry), attitude of a Plane (geometry), planar Geology, geologic feature. A feature's strike is the azimuth of an imagined horizontal ...

'' * ''

sweet and sour Sweet and sour is a generic term that encompasses many styles of sauce, cuisine, and cooking methods. It is commonly used in East Asia and Southeast Asia and has been used in English cuisine, England since the Middle Ages.Clarissa Dickson WDickson ...

'' * '' the quick and the dead'' * ''thick and thin'' * ''(there's) a time and a place'' * '' tip and ring'' * ''to and fro'' * ''top to bottom'' * ''town and country'' * ''up and down'' * ''ups and downs'' * ''uptown and downtown'' * '' war and peace'' * ''washer and dryer'' * ''wax and wane'' * ''

yes and no ''Yes'' and ''no'', or similar word pairs, are expressions of the affirmative and the negative, respectively, in several languages, including English. Some languages make a distinction between answers to affirmative versus negative questions ...

'' * ''

yin and yang Originating in Chinese philosophy, yin and yang (, ), also yinyang or yin-yang, is the concept of opposite cosmic principles or forces that interact, interconnect, and perpetuate each other. Yin and yang can be thought of as complementary an ...

With related words and synonyms

* ''ages and generations'' * ''aid and comfort'' * ''alas and alack'' * ''bits and pieces'' * ''body and soul'' * ''born and raised/bred'' * ''bright and early'' * ''

brick and mortar Brick and mortar (or B&M) is an organization or business with a physical presence in a building or other structure. The term ''brick-and-mortar business'' is often used to refer to a company that possesses or leases retail shops, factory produc ...

'' * ''

by hook or by crook "By hook or by crook" is an English language, English phrase meaning "by any means necessary", suggesting that any means possible should be taken to accomplish a goal. The phrase was first recorded in the Middle English ''Controversial Tracts'' of ...

'' * ''cheek by jowl'' * ''clean and tidy'' * ''chapter and verse'' * ''cup and saucer'' * '' (it was a) dark and stormy (night)'' * ''(this) day and age'' * ''dollars and cents'' * ''dot the i's and cross the t's'' * '' fear and loathing'' * ''

fish and chips Fish and chips is a hot dish consisting of batter (cooking), battered and fried fish, served with French fries, chips. Often considered the national dish of the United Kingdom, fish and chips originated in England in the 19th century. Today, ...

'' * ''first and foremost'' * ''hail and farewell'' * ''hand over fist'' * ''haughty and high minded'' * ''head and shoulders'' * ''heart and soul'' * ''herbs and spices'' * '' highest and best (use)'' * ''house and home'' * '' hunger and thirst'' * ''knife and fork'' * ''leaps and bounds'' * '' like mother, like daughter'' * ''lo and behold'' * ''neat and tidy'' * ''nickel and dime'' * ''nook and cranny'' * '' null and void'' * ''nuts and bolts'' * ''over and done with'' * ''

pain and suffering Pain and suffering is the legal term for the physical and emotional stress caused from an injury (see also pain and suffering). Some damages that might come under this category would be: aches, temporary and permanent limitations on activity, ...

'' * ''peace and quiet'' * '' pen and ink'' * ''pick and choose'' * ''(on) pins and needles'' * ''plain and simple'' * ''prim and proper'' * ''rant and rave'' * '' rocks and shoals'' * '' shock and awe'' * '' signs and wonders'' * ''six of one,
half a dozen of the other'' * ''

skull and bones Skull and Bones (also known as The Order, Order 322 or The Brotherhood of Death) is an undergraduate senior Secret society#Colleges and universities, secret student society at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. The oldest senior-class ...

'' * '' skull and crossbones'' * ''strait and narrow'' * ''straight and narrow'' * ''stress and strain'' * ''swings and roundabouts'' * ''ticks and chiggers'' * ''whine and complain'' * ''wind and rain'' * ''(up) close and personal'' * ''yea and amen''

With alliteration

Also see the English section of the Reduplication article for cases like ''walkie-talkie'', ''ragtag'', ''chit-chat'', ''hip-hop'', ''bing-bang-boom'', ''etc.'' * ''bag and baggage'' * ''baubles and beads'' * ''beams and balance'' * ''

bed and breakfast A bed and breakfast (typically shortened to B&B or BnB) is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast. In addition, a B&B sometimes has the hosts living in the house. ''Bed and breakfast'' is also used to ...

'' * ''belt and braces'' * ''bench and bar'' * ''big and bad'' * '' the birds and the bees'' * ''bish bash bosh'' * ''black and blue'' * ''bold and beautiful'' * ''

bootleggers and Baptists Bootleggers and Baptists is a concept put forth by regulatory economist Bruce Yandle,Pdf.
:''See also'':< ...

'' * ''boxers or briefs'' * '' bread and butter'' * ''bull and boar'' * ''cash and carry'' * ''chalk and cheese'' * ''cliques and clans'' * '' command and control'' * '' cookies and cream'' * '' deaf and dumb'' * ''(between the) devil and the deep blue sea'' * ''

dine and dash Dine may refer to: People named Dine Surname * Fiqri Dine (died 1960), Prime Minister of Albania's Quisling government under Nazi Germany and chieftain of the Dine clan from Debar * Jim Dine (born 1935), American pop artist * Nancy Dine (1937 ...

'' * ''down and dirty'' * ''dribs and drabs'' * '' drink and drive'' * '' drunk and disorderly'' * ''

Dungeons & Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) originally created and designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical ...

'' * ''

fast and furious ''Fast & Furious'', also known as ''The Fast and the Furious'', is an American action media franchise centered on a series of films revolving around street racing, heists, and spies. The franchise also includes short films, a television se ...

'' * ''feast or famine'' * '' fire and forget'' * '' fire and fury'' * ''fit in or fuck off'' * '' flip-flop'' * '' flora and fauna'' * ''footloose and fancy-free'' * ''forgive and forget'' * ''form and function'' * ''friend or foe'' * ''fun and frolics'' * ''fur and feathers'' * ''ghosts and goblins'' * ''grins and giggles'' * ''to have and to hold'' * ''hearth and home'' * ''hem and haw'' * '' hoot and holler'' * '' horseshoes and handgrenades'' * ''Jew and Gentile'' * ''juking and jiving'' * ''king and country'' * ''kit and caboodle'' * ''kith and kin'' * ''last but not least'' * ''

latitude and longitude A geographic coordinate system (GCS) is a spherical or geodetic coordinate system for measuring and communicating positions directly on Earth as latitude and longitude. It is the simplest, oldest, and most widely used type of the various ...

'' * ''

Lend-Lease Lend-Lease, formally the Lend-Lease Act and introduced as An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States (),3,000 Hurricanes and >4,000 other aircraft) * 28 naval vessels: ** 1 Battleship. (HMS Royal Sovereign (05), HMS Royal Sovereign) * ...

'' * ''life and limb'' * ''live and learn'' * ''lock and load'' * ''love ‘em and leave ‘em'' * ''love it or leave it'' * ''mix and match'' * ''meek and mild'' * '' name and number'' * ''part and parcel'' * ''peas in a pod'' * ''pen and pencil'' * ''pen(cil) and paper'' * '' pig in a poke'' * ''pillar to post'' * ''pitter-patter'' * '' pots and pans'' * '' publish or perish'' * '' rags to riches'' * ''ranting and raving'' * ''read and write'' * ''ready to rumble'' * ''rest and relaxation'' ( R&R/R'n'R) * ''(without) rhyme or reason'' * ''right and wrong'' * ''

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...

'' * ''rough and ready'' * ''rules and regulations'' * ''safe and secure'' * ''safe and sound'' * ''shot and shell'' * ''shower and shave'' * ''

signs and symptoms Signs and symptoms are diagnostic indications of an illness, injury, or condition. Signs are objective and externally observable; symptoms are a person's reported subjective experiences. A sign for example may be a higher or lower temperature ...

'' * '' slip and slide'' * ''spick and span'' * ''spit and shine'' * '' Stars and Stripes'' * '' sticks and stones'' * ''sugar and spice'' * ''this or that'' * ''ticky-tacky'' * ''tit for tat'' * ''top and tail'' * ''toss and turn'' * '' trick or treat'' * ''trials and tribulations'' * ''tried and tested'' * ''tried and true'' * ''truck and trailer'' * ''wash and wear'' * ''watching and waiting'' * ''weep and wail'' * ''wet and wild'' * ''whooping and hollering'' * ''wild and woolly'' * ''wise and wonderful'' * ''witches and warlocks'' * ''wrack and ruin''

With rhymes and similar-sounding words

* ''break and take'' *'' boom and zoom'' * ''box and cox'' * ''chalk and talk'' * ''charts and darts'' * ''chips and dip'' * ''dive and drive'' * ''double trouble'' * ''even Steven'' * ''fair and square'' * ''fender bender'' * ''five and dime'' * '' flotsam and jetsam'' * ''handy-dandy'' * ''hanky-panky'' * ''harum-scarum'' * ''helter skelter'' * ''higgledy piggledy'' * ''high and dry'' * ''hire and fire'' *'' hit and split'' * ''hit it and quit'' * ''hither and thither'' * '' hocus pocus'' * ''hoity-toity'' * ''hot to trot'' * ''hotch-potch'' * ''huff and puff'' * ''hurly-burly'' * ''hustle and bustle'' * ''itty-bitty'' * ''itsy-bitsy'' * ''lap and gap'' * ''latest and greatest'' * ''lean, mean, fightin' machine'' * ''lick 'em and stick 'em'' * ''loud and proud'' * ''mean, green, fightin' machine'' * ''meet and greet'' * ''might makes right'' * ''motor voter'' * ''my way or the highway'' * ''namby-pamby'' * ''

name and shame To name and shame is to "publicly say that a person, group or business has done something wrong". It is a form of public shaming used to rally popular opinion against and, in turn, discourage certain kinds of behavior or enterprises. The pract ...

'' * '' name it and claim it'' * ''near and dear'' * ''never, ever'' * ''nitty gritty'' * ''odds and sods'' * ''onwards and upwards'' * ''orgy porgy'' * ''out and about'' * ''out and proud'' * ''pell-mell'' * ''

pump and dump Pump and dump (P&D) is a form of securities fraud that involves artificially inflating the price of an owned stock through false and misleading positive statements (pump), in order to sell the cheaply purchased stock at a higher price (dump). O ...

'' * ''rough and tough'' * ''run and gun'' * ''shout and clout'' * ''saggy baggy'' * ''shake and bake'' * ''slowly but surely'' * ''smoke and joke'' * ''son of a gun'' * ''stash and dash'' * ''stitch and bitch'' * ''stop and drop'' * '' so far, so good'' * ''

'' * ''teeny-weeny'' * ''time and tide'' * ''

town and gown Town and gown are two distinct communities of a college town, university town; 'town' being the non-academic population and 'gown' Metonymy, metonymically being the university community, especially in ancient seats of learning such as Universit ...

'' * ''true blue'' * ''use it or lose it'' * ''wake and bake'' * ''wear and tear'' * ''weed and feed'' * ''wham, bam, thank you, ma'am'' * ''wheeling and dealing'' * '' willy nilly'' * ''wine and dine'' * ''yea or nay'' * ''(the) yeas and (the) nays''

Legal terminology

In law and official documents, there are many irreversible binomials and triplets consisting of near synonyms, such as the oft-heard ''

terms and conditions A contractual term is "any provision forming part of a contract". Each term gives rise to a contractual obligation, the breach of which may give rise to litigation. Not all terms are stated expressly and some terms carry less legal gravity as ...

'' and ''

cease and desist A cease and desist letter is a document sent by one party, often a business, to warn another party that they believe the other party is committing an unlawful act, such as copyright infringement, and that they will take legal action if the oth ...

''. See the

Legal doublet A legal doublet is a standardized phrase used frequently in English legal language consisting of two or more words that are irreversible binomials and frequently synonyms, usually connected by ''and'', such as ''cease and desist''. The order of th ...

article for a list.

Conjunction

The most common conjunctions in an irreversible binomial are ''and'' or ''or.''

With "and" as the conjunction

* ''above and beyond'' * ''airs and graces'' * ''alarm and muster'' * ''alive and kicking'' * ''alive and well'' * ''an arm and a leg'' * ''armed and dangerous'' * ''

apples and oranges A comparison of apples and oranges occurs when two items or groups of items are compared that cannot be practically compared, typically because of inherent or fundamental differences between the objects. The idiom, ''comparing apples and oran ...

'' * ''back and fill'' * ''back and forth'' * '' bacon and eggs'' * '' bangers and mash'' * ''

bait and switch Bait-and-switch is a form of fraud used in retail sales but also employed in other contexts. First, the merchant "baits" the customer by advertising a product or service at a low price; then when the customer goes to purchase the item, they disco ...

'' * ''bait and tackle'' * ''(old) ball and chain'' * '' barefoot and pregnant'' * ''bargain and sale'' * ''bed and breakfast'' * ''beck and call'' * ''bells and whistles'' * '' belt and suspenders'' * ''big and bold'' * ''big and tall'' * ''bigger and better'' * ''binge and purge'' * '' bit and bridle'' * ''bits and bobs'' * ''bits and pieces'' * ''black and blue '' * ''block and tackle'' * ''blood and guts'' * ''blood and gore'' * '' bob and weave'' * ''

bow and arrow The bow and arrow is a ranged weapon system consisting of an elasticity (physics), elastic launching device (bow) and long-shafted projectiles (arrows). Humans used bows and arrows for hunting and aggression long before recorded history, and the ...

'' * ''bound and determined'' * ''bound and gagged'' * ''bow and scrape'' * ''brace and bit'' * ''bread and water'' * '' bread and circuses'' * '' bread and roses'' * ''brown and serve'' * ''bucket and spade'' * ''bump and grind'' * '' bump and run'' * ''by and large'' * ''by guess and by golly'' * '' cap and gown'' * ''

car and driver ''Car and Driver'' (''CD'' or ''C/D'') is an American automotive enthusiast magazine first published in 1955. In 2006 its total circulation was 1.23 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased it from its prior owner Hachette Fi ...

'' * '' cat and mouse'' * ''

checks and balances The separation of powers principle functionally differentiates several types of state power (usually law-making, adjudication, and execution) and requires these operations of government to be conceptually and institutionally distinguishabl ...

'' * '' chicken and dumplings'' * ''chop and change'' * ''clean and sober'' * ''

cloak and dagger "Cloak and dagger" was a fighting style common by the time of the Renaissance involving a knife hidden beneath a cloak. The term later came into use as a metaphor, referring to situations involving intrigue, secrecy, espionage, or mystery. Over ...

'' * '' coat and tie'' * '' coffee and doughnuts'' * ''cock-and-bull'' * ''come and go'' * ''crash and burn'' * ''cream and sugar'' * ''

crime and punishment ''Crime and Punishment'' is a novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. It was first published in the literary journal '' The Russian Messenger'' in twelve monthly installments during 1866.

'' * ''cup and saucer'' * ''cut and dried (dry)'' * ''cut and paste'' * ''cut and run'' * ''

dandelion and burdock Dandelion and burdock is a beverage originating and commonly consumed in the British Isles since the Middle Ages. It was originally a type of light mead but over the years has evolved into the carbonated soft drink commercially available today. ...

'' * ''(in this)day and age'' * ''day and night'' * ''dead and buried'' * ''dead and gone'' * '' death and taxes'' * ''dine and dash'' * '' divide and conquer'' * '' dog and pony show'' * ''down and out'' * '' duck and cover'' * ''duck and dive'' * ''each and every'' * ''eyes and ears'' * ''facts and figures'' * ''far and wide'' * ''

'' * ''fast and loose'' * ''fine and dandy'' * ''fingers and thumbs'' * '' fire and brimstone'' * ''first and foremost'' * ''

'' * ''(by) fits and starts'' * ''flesh and blood'' * ''flesh and bone'' * ''forever and a day'' * ''forever and ever'' * ''front and center'' * ''fun and games'' * ''fuss and bother'' * ''give and take'' * ''goals and aspirations'' * ''good and plenty'' * ''goodness and light'' * ''grin and bear it'' * ''ground and pound'' * ''

hack and slash Hack and slash, also known as hack and slay (H&S or HnS) or slash 'em up, refers to a type of gameplay that emphasizes combat with melee-based weapons (such as swords or blades). They may also feature projectile-based weapons as well (such as ...

'' * ''hale and hearty'' * ''hard and fast'' * '' ham and eggs'' * ''hammer and nail'' * ''

hammer and sickle The hammer and sickle (Unicode: ) is a communist symbol representing proletarian solidarity between industrial and agricultural workers. It was first adopted during the Russian Revolution at the end of World War I, the hammer representing wo ...

'' * '' hammer and tongs'' * ''hearts and minds'' * ''(move) heaven and earth'' * ''here and now'' * ''hide and seek'' * ''hide and watch'' * ''high and mighty'' * ''high and dry'' * '' high and tight'' * ''hit and miss'' * ''

hit and run In traffic laws, a hit and run or a hit-and-run is the criminal act of causing a traffic collision and not stopping afterwards. It is considered a supplemental crime in most jurisdictions. Additional obligation In many jurisdictions, there ma ...

'' * ''hit it and quit it'' * ''hither and yon'' * ''hither and thither'' * ''home and hosed'' * ''home and dry'' * '' hook and eye'' * '' hook and loop'' * '' horse and buggy'' * '' horse and carriage'' * ''hot and heavy'' * ''

hot and high In aviation, hot and high is a condition of low air density due to high ambient temperature and high airport elevation. Air density decreases with increasing temperature and altitude. The lower air density reduces the power output from an airc ...

'' * ''hot and bothered'' * ''huff and puff'' * '' hugs and kisses'' (XOXO) * ''if and when'' * ''(for all) intents and purposes'' * ''kippers and custard'' * '' kiss and tell'' * ''kiss and make up'' * ''kith and kin'' * ''knife and fork'' * ''kicking and screaming'' * ''lakes and streams'' * '' last will and testament'' * '' law and order'' * ''lo and behold'' * '' lock and dam'' * ''

lock and key A lock is a mechanical or electronic fastening device that is released by a physical object (such as a key, keycard, fingerprint, RFID card, security token or coin), by supplying secret information (such as a number or letter permutation or p ...

'' * ''

look and feel In software design, the look and feel of a graphical user interface comprises aspects of its design, including elements such as colors, shapes, layout, and typefaces (the "look"), as well as the behavior of dynamic elements such as buttons, boxes ...

'' * ''loud and clear'' * ''make do and mend'' * ''man and boy'' * ''meat and potatoes'' * ''men and women'' * ''milk and cookies'' * ''milk and honey'' * ''

mortise and tenon A mortise and tenon (occasionally mortice and tenon) is a Woodworking joints, joint that connects two pieces of wood or other material. Woodworking, Woodworkers around the world have used it for thousands of years to join pieces of wood, mainly ...

'' *'' movers and shakers'' * ''name and address'' * ''names and faces'' * ''nice and easy'' * ''nook and cranny'' * '' noughts and crosses'' * ''(every) now and then'' * ''nuts and bolts'' * ''odds and ends'' * ''off and away'' * ''once and for all'' * ''one and done'' * ''out and about'' * '' over and out'' *

oyer and terminer In English law, oyer and terminer (; a partial translation of the Anglo-French , which literally means 'to hear and to determine') was one of the commissions by which a judge of assize sat. Apart from its Law French name, the commission was also ...

* '' peaches and cream'' * '' Ps and Qs'' * '' peanut butter and jelly'' * ''peas and carrots'' * ''pickles and ice cream'' * ''pick and axe'' * ''piss and moan'' * ''piss and vinegar'' * ''piss and whine'' * ''prim and proper'' * ''prize and booty'' * ''pros and cons'' * '' pork and beans'' * ''pure and simple'' * ''quick and dirty'' * '' rack and pinion'' * ''rack and ruin'' * ''raining cats and dogs'' * '' rape and pillage'' * ''

research and development Research and development (R&D or R+D), known in some countries as OKB, experiment and design, is the set of innovative activities undertaken by corporations or governments in developing new services or products. R&D constitutes the first stage ...

'' (R&D) * ''

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...

'' (R&B) * ''rich and famous'' * ''rise and fall'' * ''rise and shine'' * '' (between a) rock and a hard place'' * ''

room and board Room and board describes an accommodation which, in exchange for money, labour or other recompense, a person is provided with a place to live in addition to meals. It commonly occurs as a fee at higher educational institutions, such as colleges ...

'' * ''rough and tumble'' * ''run and jump'' * ''(all's) said and done'' * '' salt and pepper'' * ''salt and vinegar'' * '' scratch and sniff'' * ''

search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...

'' * '' seek and destroy'' * ''(different) shapes and sizes'' * ''shirt and tie'' * ''short and fat'' * ''short and sweet'' * ''short and stout'' * '' show and tell'' * '' shuck and jive'' * ''sick and tired'' * ''

slash and burn Slash-and-burn agriculture is a form of shifting cultivation that involves the cutting and burning of plants in a forest or woodland to create a field called a swidden. The method begins by cutting down the trees and woody plants in an area. T ...

'' * '' slings and arrows'' * '' slip and fall'' * ''slow and steady'' * ''skin and bone(s)'' * '' smash and grab'' * '' smoke and mirrors'' * '' snakes and ladders'' * '' song and dance'' * '' sound and fury'' * ''(in) spirit and (in) truth'' * '' spit and polish'' * ''stand and deliver'' * ''stress and strain'' * ''

Sturm und Drang (, ; usually translated as "storm and stress") was a proto-Romanticism, Romantic movement in German literature and Music of Germany, music that occurred between the late 1760s and early 1780s. Within the movement, individual subjectivity an ...

'' * ''suave and debonair'' * '' suit and tie'' * ''sunshine and rainbows'' * ''

supply and demand In microeconomics, supply and demand is an economic model of price determination in a Market (economics), market. It postulates that, Ceteris_paribus#Applications, holding all else equal, the unit price for a particular Good (economics), good ...

'' * '' sweetness and light'' * ''a swing and a miss'' * '' sword and sandal'' * ''tables and chairs'' * ''tall and thin'' * '' tar(red) and feather(ed)'' * '' tar and feathers'' * ''tea and crumpets'' * ''(through) thick and thin'' * ''thunder and lightning'' * ''tits and ass'' * ''to and fro'' * ''tooth and nail'' * ''touch and go'' * ''

track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...

'' * ''

trial and error Trial and error is a fundamental method of problem-solving characterized by repeated, varied attempts which are continued until success, or until the practicer stops trying. According to W.H. Thorpe, the term was devised by C. Lloyd Morgan ( ...

'' * ''trials and tribulations'' * ''tuck and roll'' * ''twist and turn'' * ''up and about'' * ''up and coming'' * ''vim and vigor'' * ''wait and see'' * ''warm and fuzzy'' * ''

warp and weft In the manufacture of cloth, warp and weft are the two basic components in weaving to transform thread and yarn into textile fabrics. The vertical ''warp'' yarns are held stationary in tension on a loom (frame) while the horizontal ''weft'' ...

'' * ''watch and ward'' * ''wax and wane'' * ''ways and means'' * ''well and good'' * ''whinge and whine'' * ''wine and roses'' * ''words and phrases'' * ''X's and O's'' * ''

'' * ''a year and a day''

With "or" or "nor" as the conjunction

* ''all or nothing'' * ''better or worse'' * ''big or small'' * ''black or white'' * ''business or pleasure'' * ''the

chicken or the egg The chicken or the egg causality dilemma is commonly stated as the question, "which came first: the chicken or the egg?" The dilemma stems from the observation that all chickens hatch from eggs and all chicken eggs are laid by chickens. "Chicke ...

'' * ''day or night'' * ''dead or alive'' * ''do or die'' * ''fight or flight'' * ''(neither) fish nor fowl'' * ''give or take'' * ''good or bad'' * ''gentle or simple'' * ''he or she'' * '' heads or tails'' * ''(come) hell or high water'' * ''(neither) here nor there'' * ''(neither) hide nor hair'' * '' his or her'' * ''hit or miss'' * ''(not one) jot or tittle'' * ''kill or cure'' * ''kill or be killed'' * ''(neither) love nor money'' * ''make or break'' * ''more or less'' * ''now or never'' * '' put up or shut up'' * ''rain or shine'' * ''rhyme or reason'' * ''right or wrong'' * ''sink or swim'' * ''sooner or later'' * ''take it or leave it'' * ''two or more'' * ''up or down'' * ''(neither) use nor ornament'' * ''victory or death'' * ''win or lose'' * '' yes or no''

With no conjunction

* ''hoity toity'' * ''

hunter-gatherer A hunter-gatherer or forager is a human living in a community, or according to an ancestrally derived Lifestyle, lifestyle, in which most or all food is obtained by foraging, that is, by gathering food from local naturally occurring sources, esp ...

'' * ''corn cheese''

People and fictional characters

* Abbott and Costello * Abraham and Isaac * Achilles and Patroclus *

Adam and Eve Adam and Eve, according to the creation myth of the Abrahamic religions, were the first man and woman. They are central to the belief that humanity is in essence a single family, with everyone descended from a single pair of original ancestors. ...

* Alexiares and Anicetus *

Antony and Cleopatra ''Antony and Cleopatra'' is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play was first performed around 1607, by the King's Men at either the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre. Its first appearance in print was in the First Folio published ...

* Ant & Dec * Batman and Robin * Bonnie and Clyde *

Cain and Abel In the biblical Book of Genesis, Cain and Abel are the first two sons of Adam and Eve. Cain, the firstborn, was a farmer, and his brother Abel was a shepherd. The brothers made sacrifices, each from his own fields, to God. God had regard for Ab ...

* Cannon and Ball *

Castor and Pollux Castor and Pollux (or Polydeuces) are twin half-brothers in Greek and Roman mythology, known together as the Dioscuri or Dioskouroi. Their mother was Leda, but they had different fathers; Castor was the mortal son of Tyndareus, the king of ...

* Cupid and Psyche *

Click and Clack ''Car Talk'' is a metonym for the humorous work of "Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers", Tom and Ray Magliozzi, on automobile repair. Originally, ''Car Talk'' was a radio show that ran on National Public Radio (NPR) from 1977 until Octobe ...

* Damon and Pythias * David and Goliath * Deleuze and Guattari * Dick and Jane *

Faust Faust ( , ) is the protagonist of a classic German folklore, German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust (). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a deal with the Devil at a ...

and Marguerite * Flanders and Swann * French and Saunders * Frick and Frack * Fry and Laurie *

Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) and to the works they jointly created. The two men collaborated on fourteen com ...

Gilgamesh and Aga Gilgamesh and Aga, sometimes referred to as incipit The envoys of Aga (Sumerian literature, Sumerian: ''lu2 kin-gi4-a aka''), is an First Babylonian dynasty, Old Babylonian poem written in Sumerian language, Sumerian. The only one of the five po ...

Hansel and Gretel "Hansel and Gretel" (; ) is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812 as part of ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'' (KHM 15). Hansel and Gretel are siblings who are abandoned in a forest and fall into the hands of a witch ...

Hellman & Friedman Hellman & Friedman LLC (H&F) is an American private equity firm, founded in 1984 by Warren Hellman and Tully Friedman, that makes investments primarily through leveraged buyouts as well as growth capital investments. H&F has focused its efforts ...

* Jacob and Esau * Jack and Jill * Jack and Victor * Jaya and Vijaya * Jekyll & Hyde *

Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American double act, comedy duo during the early Classical Hollywood cinema, Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957) ...

* Lennon and McCartney * Lerner and Loewe *

Lewis and Clark Lewis may refer to: Names * Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname Music * Lewis (musician), Canadian singer * " Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohe ...

* Lilo & Stitch *

Little and Large ''Little and Large'' were a British comedy double act comprising straight man Syd Little (born Cyril John Mead; 19 December 1942) and comic Eddie Large (born Edward Hugh McGinnis; 25 June 1941 – 2 April 2020). Comedy duo They formed their pa ...

* Lugal-irra and Meslamta-ea *

Mario Mario (; ) is a Character (arts), character created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the star of the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise, a recurring character in the ''Donkey Kong'' franchise, and the mascot of the Ja ...

and

Luigi Luigi (; ) is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Part of Nintendo's ''Mario'' franchise, he is a kind-hearted, cowardly Italian plumber, and the younger fraternal twin brother and sidekick of Mario. Like ...

* Martin and Lewis *

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Fuller Olsen (born June 13, 1986), also known as the Olsen twins, are American fashion designers and former actresses. Mary-Kate Olsen, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Ashley made their acting debut as infants playing Mi ...

Mel and Sue Mel Giedroyc (born 5 June 1968) and Sue Perkins (born 22 September 1969), known collectively as Mel and Sue, are an English comedy double act. They are known for hosting the BAFTA Award-winning BBC One cookery series '' The Great British ...

* Morecambe and Wise * Mork and Mindy * Orpheus and Eurydice * Ox-Head and Horse-Face *

Penn & Teller Penn & Teller, Penn Jillette and Teller, are American magicians, entertainers, and scientific skeptics who have performed together since 1975. They are noted for their ongoing act that combines elements of comedy with magic. The duo has bee ...

* Phyllis and Aristotle *

Phineas and Ferb ''Phineas and Ferb'' is an American animated series, animated Musical film, musical-television comedy, comedy television series created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh for Disney Channel and Disney XD. The series originally aired on t ...

* Pinky & The Brain * Pygmalion and Galatea * Ren & Stimpy * Rhett & Link *

Rick and Morty ''Rick and Morty'' is an American Adult animation, adult animated science fiction Animated sitcom, sitcom created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon for Cartoon Network's nighttime programming block Adult Swim. The series follows the misadvent ...

Rodgers and Hart Rodgers and Hart were an American songwriting partnership between composer Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and the lyricist Lorenz Hart (1895–1943). They worked together on 28 stage musicals and more than 500 songs from 1919 until Hart's ...

Rodgers and Hammerstein Rodgers and Hammerstein was a theater-writing team of composer Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and lyricist-dramatist Oscar Hammerstein II (1895–1960), who together created a series of innovative and influential American musicals. Their musical ...

Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...

Romulus and Remus In Roman mythology, Romulus and (, ) are twins in mythology, twin brothers whose story tells of the events that led to the Founding of Rome, founding of the History of Rome, city of Rome and the Roman Kingdom by Romulus, following his frat ...

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are characters in William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Hamlet''. They are childhood friends of Hamlet, summoned by King Claudius to distract the prince from his apparent madness and if possible to ascertain the cause of ...

* Sam and Max * Samson and Delilah *

Simon & Garfunkel Simon & Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo comprising the singer-songwriter Paul Simon and the singer Art Garfunkel. They were one of the best-selling music acts of the 1960s. Their most famous recordings include three US number-one sing ...

Sonny & Cher Sonny & Cher were an American pop and entertainment duo in the 1960s and 1970s, made up of spouses Sonny Bono and Cher. The couple started their career in the mid-1960s as rhythm and blues, R&B backing singers for record producer Phil Spector. ...

Thelma & Louise ''Thelma & Louise'' is a 1991 American crime drama film directed by Ridley Scott and written by Callie Khouri. The film stars Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis as Louise and Thelma, two friends who embark on a road trip that ends up in unforese ...

Thomson and Thompson Thomson and Thompson ( ) are fictional characters in ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. They are two detectives who provide much of the comic relief throughout the series. Hergé twice calls them "bro ...

* Tom & Jerry * Tristan and Isolde * Tim & Eric *

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...

and

Adonis In Greek mythology, Adonis (; ) was the mortal lover of the goddesses Aphrodite and Persephone. He was considered to be the ideal of male beauty in classical antiquity. The myth goes that Adonis was gored by a wild boar during a hunting trip ...

* Vic & Bob *

Watson and Crick "Molecular Structure of Nucleic Acids: A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid" was the first article published to describe the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA, using X-ray diffraction and the mathematics of a helix transform ...

Rhyming slang

* ''Adam and Eve'' * ''apples and pears'' * ''bottle and glass'' * ''Brahms and Liszt'' * ''dog and bone'' * ''frog and toad'' * ''hand and blister'' * ''north and south'' * ''rabbit and pork'' * ''trouble and strife'' * ''two and eight'' * ''whistle and flute''

Variants

Irreversible binomials are sometimes isocolons (bicolons, tricolons, etc.) which have become

set phrase A phraseme, also called a set phrase, fixed expression, multiword expression (in computational linguistics), or idiom, is a multi-word or multi-morphemic utterance whose components include at least one that is selectionally constrained or restrict ...

s. They may also be called simply binomials. With three words, they may be called trinomials, and may satisfy the rule of three in writing.

Common trinomials

* '' Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob'' * '' animal, vegetable, or mineral'' * '' back, sack, and crack'' * '' beans, bullets, and bandages'' * '' beg, borrow, or steal'' * '' bell, book, and candle'' * ''blood, sweat, and tears'' * ''calm, cool, and collected'' * ''Coffee, tea, or me?'' * '' could've, would've, should've'' * '' culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant'' * ''

Eagle, Globe, and Anchor The Eagle, Globe, and Anchor (commonly referred to as an EGA) is the official emblem and insignia of the United States Marine Corps. The current emblem traces its roots in the designs and ornaments of the early Continental Marines as well as the ...

'' ** ''bird, ball, and chain'' * '' ear, nose, and throat'' * ''eat, drink, and be merry'' * ''fat, dumb, and happy'' * '' Father, Son, and Holy Ghost'' * '' fear, uncertainty, and doubt'' * '' fraud, waste, and abuse'' * '' friends, Romans, countrymen'' * '' (do not) fold, spindle, or mutilate'' * ''Get it? Got it? Good.'' * '' gold, frankincense, and myrrh'' * '' gold, God, and glory'' * '' gold, silver, and bronze'' * ''good, bad, and indifferent'' * '' the good, the bad, and the ugly'' * ''

Guns, Germs, and Steel ''Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies'' (subtitled ''A Short History of Everybody for the Last 13,000 Years'' in Britain) is a 1997 transdisciplinary nonfiction book by the American author Jared Diamond. The book attempts to ...

'' * '' hand, foot, and mouth'' * '' healthy, wealthy, and wise'' * ''here, there, and everywhere'' * '' hook, line, and sinker'' * '' hop, skip, and a jump'' * ''

Huey, Dewey, and Louie Huey, Dewey, and Louie are Multiple birth, triplet cartoon characters created by storyboard artist and screenwriter Carl Barks for The Walt Disney Company from an idea proposed by cartoonist Al Taliaferro. They are the nephews of Donald Duck an ...

'' * '' I came, I saw, I conquered'' * ''(no) ifs, ands, or buts'' * '' judge, jury, and executioner'' * '' lather, rinse, repeat'' * ''left, right and center'' * '' lie, cheat, or steal'' * '' lies, damned lies, and statistics'' * '' life, liberty, and property'' * '' lights, camera, action'' * ''

location, location, location ''Location, Location, Location'' is a British reality property programme that has aired on Channel 4 since 17 May 2000 and is presented by Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer. The show follows Allsopp and Spencer as they try to find the perfect ...

'' * ''

lock, stock, and barrel "Lock, stock, and barrel" is a merism used predominantly in the United Kingdom and North America, meaning "all", "total" or "everything". It derives from the effective portions of a gun: the Lock (firearm), lock, the Stock (firearms), stock, and ...

'' * ''mad, bad, and dangerous'' * ''me, myself, and I'' * ''

mean A mean is a quantity representing the "center" of a collection of numbers and is intermediate to the extreme values of the set of numbers. There are several kinds of means (or "measures of central tendency") in mathematics, especially in statist ...

median The median of a set of numbers is the value separating the higher half from the lower half of a Sample (statistics), data sample, a statistical population, population, or a probability distribution. For a data set, it may be thought of as the “ ...

, and mode'' * ''name, rank, and serial number'' * ''

nasty, brutish, and short ''Leviathan or The Matter, Forme and Power of a Commonwealth Ecclesiasticall and Civil'', commonly referred to as ''Leviathan'', is a book by the English philosopher Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679), published in 1651 (revised Latin edition 1668). ...

'' * ''The Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa María'' * ''

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles ''Planes, Trains and Automobiles'' is a 1987 American road film, road trip comedy film written, produced, and directed by John Hughes (filmmaker), John Hughes and starring Steve Martin and John Candy. It tells the story of Neal Page, an uptight ...

'' * '' (neither) rain, nor sleet, nor snow'' * '' reading, writing and 'rithmetic'' * ''ready, willing, and able'' * '' red, white, and blue'' * '' secure, contain, protect'' * '' sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll'' * '' Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego'' * '' Shake, Rattle, and Roll'' * ''short and sweet and to the point'' * ''slips, trips, and falls'' * ''small, medium, and large'' * '' Snap, Crackle and Pop'' * '' stop, drop, and roll'' * '' stop, look, and listen'' * '' soup, soap, and salvation'' * '' sugar and spice and everything nice'' * ''tall, dark, and handsome'' * ''this, that, and the other'' * ''

tic-tac-toe Tic-tac-toe (American English), noughts and crosses (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English), or Xs and Os (Canadian English, Canadian or Hiberno-English, Irish English) is a paper-and-pencil game for two players who ta ...

'' * '' Tom, Dick, and Harry'' * '' the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth (so help me/you God)'' * ''up, down, and sideways'' * ''(in no) way, shape, or form'' * '' the way, the truth, and the life'' * ''whats, whys, and wherefores'' * ''win, lose, or draw'' * '' win, place, or show'' * ''your tired, your poor, your huddled masses''

Quadrinomials

* '' attack, decay, sustain, release'' * '' blood, toil, tears, and sweat'' * '' Create, Read, Update, Delete'' * '' Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony'' * '' John, Paul, George, and Ringo'' * '' Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John'' * '' north, south, east and west'' * '' signed, sealed, published, and declared'' * '' soprano, alto, tenor, bass'' * '' spectacles, testicles, wallet, and watch'' * '' suck, squeeze, bang, blow'' * '' time, destiny, fate, eternity'' * '' War, Pestilence, Famine, Death''

Notes

References

Bibliography

* Cooper, William E. and Ross, John R. (1975). World order. In Robin E. Grossman et al. (Eds.), ''Papers from the Parasession on Functionalism,'' Chicago Linguistic Society, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, pp. 63–111. * Sarah Bunin Benor, Roger Levy, "The Chicken or the Egg?: A Probabilistic Analysis of English Binomials", ''

Language Language is a structured system of communication that consists of grammar and vocabulary. It is the primary means by which humans convey meaning, both in spoken and signed language, signed forms, and may also be conveyed through writing syste ...

'' 82:2:233-278 (June 2006)
full text
* Ourania Hatzidaki, "Binomials and the Computer: a Study in Corpus-Based Phraseology", ALLC/ACH Conference, University of Glasgow, July 200

{{Authority control English language Idioms