I have recently become obsessed with pairs of words that appear in a specific order, called frozen binomials. There are lists of them online; I just wanted to do my own. I have come up with an inventory of frozen binomials, which is in no way comprehensive.
I did not include sequential pairs, e.g., search and destroy. One searches then destroys. Same with smash and grab, catch and release, divide and conquer.
I also did not include smaller-to-greater pairs, e.g. nickel and dime.
Friend Michael did a few during a brief phone call.
Feel free to suggest some I missed—of which there are many.
- Apples and oranges
- Biscuits and gravy
- Black and white
- Bread and butter
- Brick and mortar
- Brother and sister
- Cars and trucks
- Cats and dogs
- Cinnamon and sugar
- Coffee or tea
- Cook and clean
- Cookies and milk
- Cops and robbers
- Country and Western
- Cowboys and Indians
- Cuts and bruises
- Dollars and cents
- East and west
- Fire and brimstone
- Frankincense and myrrh
- Fruits and vegetables
- Good and evil
- Ham and eggs
- Hammer and chisel
- Hammer and nails
- Hammer and tongs
- Hands and knees
- Hit or miss
- Horse and buggy
- Hot and cold
- Hugs and kisses
- Ketchup and mustard
- Left and right
- Lemon and lime
- Loud and clear
- Man and wife
- Meat and potatoes
- Moan and groan
- Mr. and Mrs.
- North or south
- Oil and water
- Paper or plastic
- Peanut butter and jelly
- Pen and pencil
- Pipes and cigars
- Piss and moan
- Pots and pans
- Salt and pepper
- Sand and surf
- Shoes and socks
- Sick and tired
- Soap and water
- Song and dance
- Stars and stripes
- Sticks and stones
- Surf and turf
- Tea or coffee
- This or that
- Thunder and lightening
- Tooth and nail
- Up and down
- Vinegar and oil
- Vitamins and minerals
- Wear and tear
