Knife and fork, wrong and right, peace and quiet – these are examples of binomials, phrases which consists of two words joined together by a conjunction like ‘and‘ or ‘or‘.
English is full of them. You can find binomials in everyday conversation, in written English, and also by reading and interacting through various social media. Twitter, for example, is a rich source of language, and Tweets are often composed to sound just like spoken English.
Here’s an example of a binomial written on Twitter:
Was planning on fish and chips tonight for dinner, but have had the sort of day that’s resulted in me just having chips…. (and chocolate!)
— Debbish (@RockafellaSkank) November 22, 2012
The meaning of binomials can sometimes be clear from the two separate words. For example, I would like some fish and chips means just that – I would like some fish and some chips.
In other cases, the meaning is more idiomatic or figurative.
I’ve now selected 10 Tweets written this week, which I found using the ‘search’ button on Twitter. Try to fill in the ones below with the missing word, then decide what you think the meaning is:
1.
Pair of boots and a sack of clothes, free and …………….. down the road I go – Dierks Bentley
— Manuel Rubio (@ManuelRubioHRH)
And the same one with a different meaning:
Get a lot of unwanted mail? Sign-up on Catalog Choice and help your mailbox go green too! It’s FREE and ……………… catalogchoice.org
— The BGA (@BroadwayGreen)
2.
Saturday I came down w/a deadly hangover-it was touch and …………….. for a while. I survived, but be warned! Im sure I caught it from twitter.
— Gotham’s Lovely (@WowYoureFunny)
3.
So happy we won that rally fair and ……………..!! #SENIORS — Jesse Santosuosso (@jessejaesoso)
4.
Landed safe and ……………… back in LA.. Had such a wonderful trip in New York:) — Lea Michele (@msleamichele)
5.
Waxed the living room floor. Is the living room spic and ……………… now? Well, to some extent,yes 😛
— chelsea (@chel_gallagorha)
6.
The life of Hutchence, 15 years on: THE life and ……………… of late, great INXS frontman Michael Hutchence will be ma… bit.ly/10sCv1O
— Sydney Confidential (@SydConfidential)
7.
Love is a roller coaster, it has its ups and ………………, but the ride is what you make of it.
— Notebook of Love (@Notebook)
8.
Don’t let the hustle and ……………… of the busy holiday season keep you from creating wonderful holiday memories with… fb.me/114wZowSk
— Dutch Wonderland (@FUNatDW)
9.
@akfadzilah Plenty of things to do and ……………… in Singapore 🙂
— Jannah Raffali (@jannahtesl)
10.
Customer site is closing early. Latest Article submitted to editor. Some Odds and ……………… to wrap up… Ready for a 4 day weekend!
— Christopher Neto CTS (@chris_neto)
How’d you go? Check your answers below:
1. Free and easy
You can see above that free and easy can be used to say something is cool, relaxed, that there’s no problem. The second Tweet refers more to something being of no cost and easy or convenient to do.
2. Touch and go
Something that is serious before usually getting better.
For example: after the accident things were touch and go for a while.
The person’s condition was very serious. We use it usually after we know things are now getting better.
3. Fair and square
Often it’s used with ‘win’:
He won the match fair and square.
ie he played by the rules and clearly won with no cheating, and so no one can complain about the result.
4. Safe and sound
Perhaps you were worried about someone but now you’re pleased or relieved that they are ok and nothing bad has happened to them:
I heard there’s a transport strike on today. Well, I’m glad that the kids are at home safe and sound.
5. Spick and span
This means very clean and tidy (which is another binomial).
Interestingly, ‘spick’ is not used on its own, and some dictionaries only mention it as part of this phrase.
6. The life and times
Often used when there’s a book about someone’s life story.
7. Ups and downs
As you can imagine, life has its highs and lows, we experience the good and the bad.
8. Hustle and bustle
This refers to the energy of a place, how busy and vibrant it is.
9. Do and see
When talking about visiting a city or what you want to do at the weekend, you can say there’s plenty of things/many things to do and see.
It can even be extended to this phrase: things to do and see in..(Paris)
10. Odds and ends
Some Brits say bits and bobs.
These are the small things or tasks we have to deal with:
I’ll be with you in a sec – just got to finish off some bits and pieces.
Francisco Javier says
Very interesting, David. I was relatively familiar with all of them except “the life and times”.
I’m glad to learn something new every day!
PS: I’ve got a list of binomials myself which I compiled some time ago. It’s a VERY long list of binomials translated into Spanish, but it didn’t include “the life and times” (it does now). If anyone is interested, just say the word.
Here’s just a small sample:
aches and pains achaques
adapt or perish renovarse o morir
again and again una y otra vez
aims and objectives objetivos
airs and graces (Br.E.) (disapproving) aires de grandeza, melindres
alive and kicking vivito,-a y coleando
alive and well vivo,-a y en buen estado
all and sundry todo quisqui
(all) hot and bothered sulfurado,-a
all present and correct (Br.E.) / (Am.E.) all present and accounted for todos presentes, ninguna baja
(all) the world and his wife todo quisqui
all well and good muy bien (pero…)
arm in arm cogidos del brazo
armed and dangerous armado,-a y peligroso,-a
arrivals and departures llegadas y salidas (de vuelos, trenes, etc.)
arts and crafts artes y oficios
assault and battery [law] amenazas y agresión, maltrato de palabra y obra
at home and abroad dentro y fuera del país
at somebody’s beck and call a entera disposición de alguien
back and forth para atrás y para adelante, de acá para allá
bacon and eggs huevos con beicon
bag and baggage petate, bártulos, pertenencias
bangers and mash (Br.E. informal) salchichas con puré de patatas
bed and board (Br.E.) / (Am.E.) room and board cama y comida
bed and breakfast 1. alojamiento y desayuno 2. casa u hotel que ofrece alojamiento y desayuno
bells and whistles atractivos extras
bits and pieces/bits and bobs cosillas
black and blue amoratado,-a
black and tan (Br.E.) bebida que es una mezcla de cerveza amarga con cerveza negra
block and tackle polipasto (sistema de poleas)
body and soul en cuerpo y alma
board and lodging cama y comida
booing and hissing abucheos y silbidos
born and bred de toda la vida
David Sweetnam says
Hi Francisco
THANKS a lot 🙂 This is already an excellent list, and there’s still C – Z to go.
I’d be definitely interested to see your whole list. Maybe I can add a few more to it, who knows, and then we could post it either here or on your blog (or both).
I don’t know why, but this is one of my favourite areas of English vocabulary. And as you know, they’re far more common and frequent than regular coursebooks let on.
Just recently I was reading a book and there were about 5 of them on just one page. Occasionally even I come across one I didn’t know, perhaps because it’s used more in the USA and not elsewhere. The other day, for example, Taylor Swift was talking in the newspaper about a ‘dark and twisty’ relationship. Got that one..? 😉
Pls let me know if you want to join up for a post on this – I don’t think such a big list exists in any English book I’ve ever seen
David
…
Francisco Javier says
Hi,
I didn’t know the binomial “dark and twisty” (another one added to the list).
I haven’t seen a list as exhaustive as mine in any book either. I’ll send it to you asap.
Francisco Javier says
I need your email address to send you the list. Unless you want me to publish the list here.
I don’t know if that’s possible as it is a VERY long list and there may not be enough space.
David Sweetnam says
Hi Francisco
I’d love it if you could send it. It might take a few days to publish it though, as I’ve pulled a muscle or something, and can barely move today!
Email’s ‘david at getintoenglish dot com’
I thought I could add some to your list too – if there’s any I can add – then publish it with a new post, for example, highlighting 10 more binomials.
And credit where it’s due – your name should go on the list for sure. I can add a download button and format it too so it looks good : )
I’ll be interested to know if the Czechs have these as well – I believe so, though you wouldn’t believe it from the coursebooks
David
Francisco Javier says
That’s fine. You can make any changes if that helps.
Get well soon.