In linguistics and stylistics, 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 idiomatic expression or collocation. The words typically have a semantic relationship, usually involving the word and or or. They also belong to the same part of speech: for example: nouns (e.g., milk and honey); adjectives (short and sweet); or verbs (do or die). Usually (as with the preceding examples) the order of such word elements will not 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 used the name Siamese twins (i.e., conjoined twins) 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, rhyming, or ablaut reduplication, so becoming clichés or catchphrases. 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 of native English speakers.
Some English words have become obsolete in general but are still found in an irreversible binomial. For example, spick is a fossil word 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. Due to the use of precedent in common law, many lawyers use the same collocations found in legal documents centuries old. Many of these legal doublets contain two synonyms, often one of Old English origin and the other of Latin 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) or mostly so (like between a rock and a hard place, five and dime). Somewhat in between are more subtle figures of speech, synecdoches, metaphors, or hyperboles (like cat and mouse, sick and tired, barefoot and pregnant). The terms are often the targets of eggcorns, malapropisms, mondegreens, and folk etymology.
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 (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 part of speech, have some semantic relationship, and are usually connected by and or or. They are often near-synonyms or antonyms, alliterate, or rhyme.
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 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 cause and effect church and state 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 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 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 port and starboard 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 sweet and sour 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 weal and woe yes and no yin and yang
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 by hook or by crook 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 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 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 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 belt and braces bench and bar big and bad the birds and the bees black and blue bold and beautiful bootleggers and Baptists 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 down and dirty dribs and drabs drink and drive drunk and disorderly fast and furious 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 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 pots and pans publish or perish rags to riches ranting and raving read and write rest and relaxation (R&R/R'n'R) (without) rhyme or reason right and wrong rock and roll rough and ready rules and regulations safe and secure safe and sound shot and shell shower and shave signs and symptoms slip and slide spick and span spit and shine Stars and Stripes sticks and stones sugar and spice this or that 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
a wrap and a slap break and take boom and zoom box and cox chalk and talk charts and darts chips and dip dive and drive fair and square fender bender five and dime flotsam and jetsam handy-dandy hanky-panky 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 lap and gap latest and greatest lean, mean, fightin' machine (also: mean, green) lick 'em and stick 'em loud and proud meet and greet might makes right motor voter my way or the highway name and shame name it and claim it near and dear never, ever nitty gritty odds and sods onwards and upwards out and about out and proud pell-mell pump and dump 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 surf and turf teeny-weeny time and tide town and gown use it or lose it wake and bake wear and tear weed and feed 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 and cease and desist. See the Legal doublet 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 back and fill back and forth bacon and eggs bangers and mash bait and switch 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 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 cat and mouse checks and balances chicken and dumplings chop and change clean and sober cloak and dagger coat and tie coffee and doughnuts cock-and-bull come and go crash and burn cream and sugar crime and punishment cup and saucer cut and dried (dry) cut and paste cut and run dandelion and burdock (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 furious fast and loose fine and dandy