Binomials by Function with Meanings and Examples
Verb Binomials
Aid and abet
Meaning: Help someone do something wrong.
Example: He was arrested for aiding and abetting a thief.
Break and enter
Meaning: Illegally enter a building.
Example: The suspect was caught breaking and entering a store.
Chop and change
Meaning: Keep changing decisions often.
Example: He’s always chopping and changing his plans.
Clean and jerk
Meaning: A move in weightlifting.
Example: She lifted 90kg in the clean and jerk event.
Come and go
Meaning: Arrive and leave frequently.
Example: Guests kept coming and going all afternoon.
Duck and dive
Meaning: Avoid problems cleverly.
Example: He knows how to duck and dive through tough situations.
Eat and run
Meaning: Eat quickly and leave.
Example: Don’t just eat and run — stay a while.
Give and take
Meaning: Mutual compromise.
Example: Every friendship needs some give and take.
Lock and load
Meaning: Prepare for action (originally for weapons).
Example: The troops were told to lock and load.
Mix and match
Meaning: Combine things freely.
Example: You can mix and match the shirts and trousers.
Nip and tuck
Meaning: Minor adjustments or cosmetic surgery.
Example: She had a little nip and tuck to look younger.
Pick and choose
Meaning: Select only what you like.
Example: You can’t just pick and choose the rules you follow.
Rant and rave
Meaning: Complain loudly.
Example: He was ranting and raving about the traffic.
Rock and roll
Meaning: Actively begin something (or music genre).
Example: Let’s rock and roll — the show’s about to start!
See and be seen
Meaning: Go out socially to be noticed.
Example: That café is a place to see and be seen.
Shake and bake
Meaning: Quick and easy method.
Example: It was a shake and bake approach to fixing the issue.
Shiver and shake
Meaning: Tremble from fear or cold.
Example: I was shivering and shaking in the snowstorm.
Sink or swim
Meaning: Succeed or fail by your own effort.
Example: It's sink or swim on your first day at a new job.
Slice and dice
Meaning: Cut or analyze in small parts.
Example: Let’s slice and dice the data before the meeting.
Stop and frisk
Meaning: Police search practice.
Example: They did a stop and frisk at the entrance.
Noun Binomials
Aches and pains
Meaning: Minor discomforts.
Example: After the hike, I had the usual aches and pains.
Arts and crafts
Meaning: Creative handmade activities.
Example: The children love doing arts and crafts at school.
Bits and pieces
Meaning: Small items or random things.
Example: I packed all my bits and pieces in one bag.
Bread and butter
Meaning: Main source of income.
Example: Freelance writing is her bread and butter.
Cause and effect
Meaning: A relationship between two events.
Example: The book explains the cause and effect of pollution.
Day and age
Meaning: The current time or era.
Example: In this day and age, everything is online.
Ebb and flow
Meaning: Rise and fall pattern (like waves).
Example: The business has its ebb and flow throughout the year.
Fame and fortune
Meaning: Celebrity and wealth.
Example: Many dream of fame and fortune, but few reach it.
Flesh and blood
Meaning: Close relative or human being.
Example: She couldn’t hurt him—he’s her flesh and blood.
Foot and mouth
Meaning: A disease or speaking blunder.
Example: He often puts his foot in his mouth during meetings.
Heart and soul
Meaning: All of one’s energy and emotion.
Example: She put her heart and soul into that painting.
Law and order
Meaning: Rules and peacefulness in society.
Example: The police are here to maintain law and order.
Odds and ends
Meaning: Small, random leftover things.
Example: The drawer was full of odds and ends.
Peace and quiet
Meaning: Calm and silence.
Example: All I want is some peace and quiet this weekend.
Power and glory
Meaning: Authority and admiration.
Example: He sought power and glory through war.
Pros and cons
Meaning: Advantages and disadvantages.
Example: Let’s list the pros and cons before we decide.
Rack and ruin
Meaning: Total decay or destruction.
Example: The building has gone to rack and ruin.
Time and tide
Meaning: The passing of time.
Example: Time and tide wait for no one.
Trial and error
Meaning: Learning through trying.
Example: We figured it out by trial and error.
Adjective Binomials
Black and blue
Meaning: Bruised from hitting or injury.
Example: He was black and blue after falling off his bike.
Bright and breezy
Meaning: Cheerful and lively.
Example: She came in looking bright and breezy.
Clean and tidy
Meaning: Neat and well-organized.
Example: His desk is always clean and tidy.
Clear and present
Meaning: Obvious and immediate (danger).
Example: There was a clear and present danger during the storm.
Fair and square
Meaning: Honest and proper.
Example: He won the match fair and square.
Fast and loose
Meaning: Careless or untrustworthy.
Example: He plays fast and loose with the rules.
Free and easy
Meaning: Relaxed and casual.
Example: They have a free and easy attitude toward life.
Hot and bothered
Meaning: Upset or flustered.
Example: She got all hot and bothered over a minor issue.
Pure and simple
Meaning: Straightforward and clear.
Example: It was a lie, pure and simple.
Safe and sound
Meaning: Unharmed and fine.
Example: They arrived home safe and sound.
Short and sweet
Meaning: Brief but pleasant.
Example: The meeting was short and sweet, just how I like it.
Sick and tired
Meaning: Annoyed or fed up.
Example: I'm sick and tired of doing all the work.
Spick and span
Meaning: Very clean.
Example: The kitchen is spick and span after cleaning.
Thick and thin
Meaning: Good and bad times.
Example: She stood by me through thick and thin.
Wild and woolly
Meaning: Rough, untamed, or chaotic.
Example: It’s a wild and woolly region full of adventure.
