Binomials, or binomial expressions, are frequently used by native speakers of English. The word order of a binomial pair is usually fixed, and to use them in a different order would sound strange to a native speaker. Here are some common binomials:
| BINOMIAL EXPRESSIONS | MEANING | EXAMPLE |
| Aches and pains | Minor pains and a feeling of discomfort, especially in the muscles. | After a hectic outing with the kids I had aches and pains all over! |
| Alive and well | In good physical condition | The search party found the stranded hiker alive and well.” |
| Back and forth | Going to and from a place. | He’s tired of travelling back and forth to London. |
| Bits and pieces | Small items or personal belongings. | Here’s a cupboard where you can put all your bits and pieces. |
| Bit by bit | Gradually; little by little; a small amount at a time. | They renovated the old house bit by bit. |
| Black and blue | Sore and bruised | The boy was black and blue after falling off his bike. |
| Black and white | Something clear to understand or something in writing | Climate change is not black-and-white issue for me. |
| Born and bred | Be born and grow up in a particular place. | I was born and bred in Madrid. |
| Bright and early | Early in the morning | My dad goes off bright and early every Saturday morning to play golf. |
| By and large | On the whole, generally. | He can be difficult but by and large he’s a good kid. |
| Cloak and dagger | Refers to stories or situations that involve intrigue, secrecy, espionage or mystery. | My young brother loves cloak-and dagger spy novels. |
| Comings and goings | How people keep arriving at and leaving a place | She observed the comings and goings of guests at the party. |
| Cut and dried | Clear and definite or unchangeable. | There is no cut-and-dried solution to the problem. |
| Do’s and don’ts | A set of basic rules. | There’s a list of Dos and Don’ts on the wall for everyone who uses the kitchen. |
| Done and dusted | Completely finished. | We’ve finished the project. It’s all done and dusted, so let’s go and get a bite to eat! |
| Down and out | Without any money or means of support | After losing his job, car and home, he was completely down and out. |
| Dribs and drabs | Little by little; in small numbers or amounts | Instead of the crowd expected, people arrived in dribs and drabs. |
| Fair and square | In an honest and open manner | Gavin won the competition fair and square – no doubt about it. |
| Far and wide | Over a large geographical area. | People came from far and wide to visit the exhibition. |
| First and foremost | What is most important. | She went into politics for a while, but first and foremost she was a writer. |
| Give and take | Make mutual concessions or find a compromise. | Most relationships require some give and take.” |
| Give or take | More or less; plus or minus an amount or number. | I’ll be there at 9 a.m. give or take 5 minutes. |
| Hard and fast | Fixed and strongly binding | The administration established hard-and-fast rules for every procedure. |
| Haves and have-nots | Rich and poor people | Our aim is to reduce the gap between the haves and have-nots in our society. |
| Heart and soul | Make a lot of effort to do something. | Paul put his heart and soul into the project. Let’s hope it will be a success. |
| Here and there | In various different places | We found some mushrooms here and there in the woods. |
| High and dry | In a difficult situation without resources or assistance | Those who lose their jobs may be left high and dry. |
| High and low | Everywhere | I searched high and low for my keys but couldn’t find them. |
| High and mighty | Superior, haughty, full of self-importance | She was too high and mighty to tidy up after herself.” |
| Hot and bothered | Agitated, flustered or worried | There’s no need to get all hot and bothered. It’s just an English test! |
| Hue and cry | Loud opposition to something | There will be a great hue and cry when the measures are announced.” |
| Hustle and bustle | Noisy activity and surroundings. | John moved to a small village to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. |
| Ins and outs | The finer details of something. | I heard he was arrested but I don’t know the ins and outs of the story. |
| Laughter and tears | Joy and sorrow | The family reunion was a blend of laughter and tears. |
| Leaps and bounds | Very quickly and greatly. | Silvia’s English has improved in leaps and bounds this year. |
| Loud and clear | Easy to understand. | The message was loud and clear; everyone understood. |
| Make or break | Will lead to either success or failure | This is a make-or-break collection. Our future depends on it. |
| Mix and match | Put different things together e.g. clothes, furniture… | In our house we like to mix and match different styles of furniture. |
| Neat and tidy | With everything in good order. | I don’t know how you manage to keep your desk so neat and tidy. |
| Now and again Now and then |
Sometimes but not very often | We don’t eat out often but now and again wo go to a local Italian restaurant.” |
| Now or never | At the present moment because you may not get another chance | Go on! Ask him for an autograph. It’s now or never! |
| Null and void | Have no legal force or be invalid. | The agreement was declared null and void. |
| Odds and ends | Various small items. Small tasks to finish. |
Part of the garage was full of odds and ends. I’ve got to take care of a few odds and ends before I leave. |
| On and off | Intermittently; sometimes. | I’ve been suffering from backache on and off this past year. |
| Out and about | Go out regularly and take part in an activity | My mother was ill for a while but she’s out and about again. |
| Out and out | Absolute; complete | Don’t trust that man. He’s an out-an-out liar! |
| Part and parcel | An integral or essential part of something. | Travel is part and parcel of the job. |
| Peace and quiet | Freedom from stress and noise; a period of calm. | I just can’t concentrate. I need some peace and quiet. |
| Pick and choose | Select only certain things and reject the others. | You must obey all the rules. You can’t pick and choose! |
| Pins and needles | A tingling sensation in a part of the body. | I lay curled up for so long that I had pins and needles in my legs.” |
| Pride and joy | Something that makes you feel proud and happy | The house he built is his pride and joy. |
| Prim and proper | Formal and socially correct | She’s too prim and proper to be seen drinking beer! |
| Pros and cons |
The good and bad sides of something; the advantages and disadvantages. | Before we decide on anything we should discuss the pros and cons. |
| Pure and simple | Plainly, without exaggeration or further explanation | If you cheat, you fail the exam – that’s the rule, pure and simple! |
| Rank and file | The ordinary workers or members of an organisation – not the leaders | The minister remains popular with the party rank and file. |
| Rant and rave | Speak loudly and angrily about something. | You can rant and rave about the rules but you still have to obey them! |
| Rough and ready | Hastily prepared but sufficient for the purpose. Without formality or refinement. | The map of the area was rough and ready, but we found our way. |
| Rules and regulations | Instructions as to what is allowed or forbidden. | The rules and regulations in our school are very strict. |
| Safe and sound | Not injured or hurt in any way. | After the avalanche all of the skiers were found safe and sound. |
| Short and sweet | Brief but pleasant or appropriate. | His introductory speech was short and sweet – which suited everyone! |
| Sick and tired | Annoyed or frustrated with something to the point of weariness. | Tom was sick and tired of having to explain the problem over and over again. |
| Sink or swim | Succeed or fail solely through your own efforts | After a brief explanation the new recruit was left to sink or swim! |
| Skin and bone | Be very thin or emaciated. | She was nothing but skin and bone after a severe illness. |
| Sooner or later | Eventually; at some time in the future | I’ve mislaid my bracelet but I’ll find it sooner or later. |
| Step by step | From one stage to the next. | The whole procedure was explained to us step by step. |
| The long and (the) short | Used to explain something without giving the details | The long and short of it is that I just don’t want to go. |
| Toss and turn | Move around restlessly in bed because you are unable to sleep. | She tossed and turned all night, and woke up feeling exhausted. |
| Trial and error | Solving a problem by trying different methods and learning from mistakes. | Some things we have to learn by trial and error. |
| Trials and tribulations | The difficulties we face in life | It’s a book about the trials and tribulations of living abroad. |
| Tried and true | Tested and known to be reliable | A cup of warm milk is my tried-and-true remedy for insomnia. |
| Up and coming | Showing great promise or likely to achieve success | Nowadays he’s meeting competition from up-and-coming players. |
| Ups and downs | A mixture of both good and bad experiences or events. | Anne and Tony have had their ups and downs but they’re still together. |
| Wear and tear | Damage that happens gradually over time due to everyday use. | After several years of wear and tear we had to buy a new sofa. |
| Weird and wonderful | Strange or unusual but ingenious | A collection of weird and wonderful inventions was on display. |
| Wine and dine | Entertain someone with a good meal | The company likes to wine and dine good customers. |
