A binomial pair is an expression containing two words which are joined by a conjunction (usually and or or).
The word order of a binomial pair is usually fixed.
Here are some of the most common binomials,
split into five categories:
1. Binomial pairs joined by and
2. Binomial pairs joined by or
3. Binomial pairs with alliteration
4. Rhyming binomial pairs
5. Binomial pairs joined by other words.
1. Binomials joined by “and”
neat and tidy: clean, organised, tidy – not messy or untidy (also clean and tidy) example:
Her house is always very neat and tidy: there’s never anything out of place.
sick and tired: annoyed or frustrated with something / someone and at the point of getting angry or losing your patience example:
I’m sick and tired of our neighbours making such a noise – I’m gonna call the police.
short and sweet: when something is very quick and to-the-point; of minimum length and no longer than it needs to be example:
His speech was short and sweet – he just said what he needed to say and he was very quick about it.
wine and dine: wine and dine someone – entertain someone with a good quality meal example:
The bosses of the advertising agency always wine and dine their top clients.
up and down: moving between the same two points repeatedly example:
We drove up and down the same street ten times looking for the restaurant.
odds and ends: various items of different types, usually small, often of little value and importance example:
There’s nothing important in those cupboards, just a few odds and ends.
skin and bone
definition: to be very thin; to look underfed example:
That dog is all skin and bone. I don’t think anyone ever feeds it.
loud and clear: very clear and very easy to understand examples:
You don’t have to shout – I can hear you loud and clear. The two pilots could hear each other loud and clear.
back and forth: moving first in one direction then in another examples:
The taxi driver’s job consists mainly of going back and forth between the hotel and the airport all day. We rocked the baby back and forth in the chair until she fell asleep.
by and large: on the whole example:
Not all the food in that restaurant is fantastic, but by and large it’s very good.
far and wide: a large number of places, across a large geographical area; often used with from example:
People travel from far and wide to see the birthplaces of the Beatles.
2. Binomials joined by “or”
make or break: the result will be either success or failure, nothing between example:
The next match is make or break for us. If we lose we’ll have no chance of winning the league.
take it or leave it: (of a negotiation) your last offer: you are not going to negotiation further or allow the other person to negotiate example:
Eight hundred dollars is my final offer for your car – take it or leave it!
sooner or later: that something will definitely happen, although it is not known when examples:
We’re all going to die sooner or later. If you lie, people will find you out sooner or later.
more or less: approximately; almost examples:
The repairs to the car will take a week, more or less. Just give me another minute – I’ve more or less finished.
3. Alliteration
Some binomials are based on alliteration,
i.e. the two words begin with the same sound:
part and parcel: that something is always an essential part of something and is never missing from it examples:
Long hours of training and a lot of travelling are part and parcel of being a professional footballer. For some old people loneliness is part and parcel of everyday life.
safe and sound: not in danger and not injured in any way examples:
The missing boy returned to his family safe and sound. The soldier—thought to be dead—was found safe and sound in the forest.
rules and regulations: laws, rules, legislation examples:
The rules and regulations in prisons are very strict. There are different rules and regulations for commercial vehicles than for ordinary passenger cars.
live and learn: to learn from the experiences that life gives us (often you live and learn), said when you hear or discover something which is surprising example:
You mean I can get a discount because I’m under 26? Well, you live and learn – I never knew that!
4. Rhyming binomials
Other binomials have two words with a rhyming sound:
hustle and bustle: a lot of noisy activity caused by people, usually in cities example:
There’s always lots of hustle and bustle at the market on Wednesdays.
wear and tear: the decrease in value and/or quality of something because of its age and a lot of use example:
The wear and tear on his knees means he can no longer play football at the top level. I paid 3000 euros for my car, but because of wear and tear I sold it for just 1500 a year later.
willy-nilly: haphazardly, randomly, and without much planning and organisation; without order example:
The product sold badly because the salesmen travelled to customers willy-nilly without any strategy or plan. She’s so untidy – when she gets undressed she simply throws her clothes around the room willy-nilly.
5. Binomial pairs joined by other words
back to front: when the back of something faces the front, and vice-versa example:
You’ve got your t-shirt on back to front! Take it off and turn it around.
step by step: to do something methodically, one step at a time example:
Follow the course and step by step ad you will learn how to create modern and attractive web pages.
Hope these will help you in learning English
Wish you a brighter future,
Little Eagle Learning Center
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