Binomial Expressions

Bits and pieces

Meaning: Small individual things

E.g. Then there are all the other bits and pieces involved in a wedding: invitations,
photos, and car hire.

By and large

Meaning: Mostly, generally; with few exceptions

E.g. It was, by and large, an unexceptional presentation.

Give or take

Meaning: Approximately; plus or minus some unknown amount.

E.g. He was six feet tall, give or take.

Hustle and bustle

Meaning: A large amount of activity and work, usually in a noisy surrounding.

E.g. He moved to his parents’ farm to have a break from the hustle and bustle of the
big city.

On and off

Meaning: Intermittently.

E.g. With so much worry, I only slept on and off last night.

Part and parcel

Meaning: An integral or essential piece; that which must be done or accepted as part of
something else

E.g. Regular maintenance is part and parcel of owning a car.

Peace and quiet

Meaning: A period of calm, silence,etc., especially after noise, stress

E.g. Why don’t you all go and play outside? Your mother needs a bit of peace and quiet.
Pros and cons

E.g. We need to look at the pros and cons of each system.

Safe and sound

Meaning: Safe from danger and free from injury or harm

E.g. I won’t be able to relax during this storm until I know that the kids are both safe and
sound.

Sick and tired

Meaning: Annoyed or frustrated with something or someone, to the point of losing one’s
temper or patience.

E.g. She was sick and tired of her daughter pestering her to help her with her homework.

Short and sweet

Meaning: Efficiently brief in duration, especially when referring to an unpleasant task.

E.g. The staff meeting was short and sweet today.

Sooner or later

Meaning: Eventually, at some undetermined time in the not-too-distant future.

E.g. He’ll turn up sooner or later.

Step by step

Meaning: From one stage to the next in sequence.

E.g. We were shown the process step by step.

Neat and tidy

Meaning: In a state of good order; tidy.

E.g. The house is neat and tidy.

Wine and dine

Meaning: To entertain someone to a fine meal.

E.g. The company wined and dined the prospective clients.

Meaning: Upward and downward, alternately

E.g. She looked me up and down and hinted that I could do with losing some weight.

Back and forth

Meaning: Going from one place or position to another and back again.

E.g. The back and forth movement of the tide causes erosion of the coastline.

Far and wide

Meaning: Over a great distance or large area; nearly everywhere.

E.g. People came from far and wide to see the show.

Loud and clear

Meaning: In a clear and easily understandable manner.

E.g. The message from voters came across loud and clear.

Skin and bones

Meaning: Emaciated; very thin, as from lack of nutrition.

E.g. Look at that starving dog; he’s nothing more than skin and bones.

Odds and ends

Meaning: Miscellaneous things.

E.g. The garage was filled with a random assortment of odds and ends.

Make or break

Meaning: To be a crucial factor in determining the success of something.

E.g. Vince knew that his ability to come up with a catchy hook would make or break his
song.
Take it or leave it

Meaning: A situation has to be accepted without change, or rejected outright.

E.g. That’s the deal: take it or leave it.

Willy-nilly

Meaning: Without regard to consequences or the will of those affected. with no order.
Even if you don’t want it to happen.

E.g. So people chasing money churn out novels willy-nilly. / She threw her clothes willy-
nilly into a drawer.

Wear and tear

Meaning: Damage or depreciation resulting from ordinary use

E.g. I drive carefully and have my car serviced regularly to avoid wear and tear.

Ups and downs

Meaning: Periods of positive and negative events, moods, or interactions; highs and
lows.

E.g. Heidi and Mike had their ups and downs, but they stayed married for more than 60
years.

Little by little

Meaning: A small amount at a time.

E.g. I earned enough money, little by little, to buy a car.

Spick and span

Meaning: Clean, spotless; original sense “like new”.

E.g. I mopped up the kitchen floor so it was spick-and-span.

Slice and dice

Meaning: To break a body of information down into smaller parts or to examine it from
different viewpoints so that you can understand it better

E.g. Transcripts of the debate were available almost immediately, providing some
opportunities to slice and dice the contenders’ words.
Win or lose

Meaning: Whether you succeed or fail

E.g. Win or lose, you must be proud that you got this far.

Do’s and don’ts

Meaning: Instructions and warnings about what you should and should not do in a
particular situation

E.g. Here is a list of do’s and don’ts for anyone planning to start a business.

Live and learn / You live, you learn

Meaning: To learn from the experiences that life gives us (often you live and learn), said
when you hear or discover something which is surprising.

E.g. You mean I can get a discount because I’m under 26? Well, you live and learn – I
never knew that!

Bright and early

Meaning: early in the morning

He needs to leave bright and early tomorrow for an important meeting at work.

Chalk and cheese

Used to refer to two people or things as being completely different from each other

I’m not surprised that he split up with his last girlfriend. They were like chalk and cheese.

Fair and square

To describe something that is achieved honestly and without unfair methods

Our team won the match fair and square.

Heart to heart (heart-to-heart)

Used to describe an open and honest private conversation between friends

We had a heart-to-heart (a heart-to-heart chat) yesterday evening about family

To feel nervous, frightened or confused

She went hot and cold all over when her exam results arrived in the post.

(The) ins and outs

Refers to the detailed information about a situation

Our manager loves to go through all the ins and outs of our company background with
new employees.

Mix and match

To choose different things and put them together (e.g. clothes, furniture, food)

My friend likes to mix and match different styles of furniture and her house looks great.

Out and about

To go out and do different things

I'm afraid we can’t look after the grandchildren on Saturday, because we’ll be out and
about the whole day.

Tried and tested

Used to describe something as reliable and effective

We are confident that our tried and tested methods will enable you to learn faster.