Siamese twins (linguistics)

Siamese twins (also irreversible binomials, binomials, binomial pairs, freezes) in the context of the English language refers to a pair or grouping of words that is used together as an idiomatic expression or collocation, usually conjoined by the words and or or. The order of elements cannot be reversed. The expression short and sweet is an example of Siamese twins. Some English words (e.g. vim in vim and vigor) are found solely in such phrases.

Origin

The term Siamese twins originates with Chang and Eng Bunker, the conjoined twins from Siam. In the context of the English language, this word was first used and popularised by H. W. Fowler, a renowned lexicographer.

Conjunction

The most common conjunctions used in a phrase that constitutes Siamese twins are and or or.

With "and" as the conjunction

above and beyond airs and graces alive and kicking alive and well an arm and a leg armed and dangerous apples and oranges back and forth beck and call bells and whistles belt and suspenders bit and bridle bits and bobs blood and guts bow and arrow bread and circuses bump and grind burger and fries by and large cap and gown car and driver cat and mouse

cats and dogs crash and burn dog and pony show duck and cover far and wide fast and loose fingers and thumbs fish and chips flesh and blood free and clear good and plenty hale and hearty hammer and sickle hammer and tongs hard and fast high and mighty high and tight hither and yon home and dry horse and buggy horse and carriage hot and high intents and purposes

kith and kin ladies and gentlemen lakes and streams law and order lo and behold lock and dam loud and clear make do and mend man and boy man and wife meat and potatoes milk and honey mortar and pestle mortise and tenon mum and dad names and faces nook and cranny nuts and bolts odds and ends off and away once and for all

peaches and cream Ps and Qs peanut butter and jelly peas and carrots pickles and ice cream pick and axe pork and beans pure and simple rack and pinion religion and politics rice and beans rise and shine rough and tumble run and jump (all's) said and done salt and pepper seek and destroy shits and giggles short and sweet sick and tired

silver and gold skin and bone song and dance spit and polish stand and deliver supply and demand sweetness and light tea and crumpets thunder and lightning tooth and nail touch and go track and field trial and error up and about up, up, and away vim and vigor warm and fuzzy ways and means last will and testament wine and roses X's and O's

With "or" or "nor" as the conjunction

all or nothing better or worse big or small day or night dead or alive do or die

fight or flight (neither) fish nor fowl give or take heads or tails (come) hell or high water

(neither) here nor there (neither) hide nor hair hit or miss (not one) jot or tittle kill or cure (neither) love nor money

make or break more or less (no) ifs, ans, or buts one way or another rain or shine

sink or swim sooner or later take it or leave it two or more up or down use nor ornament yes or no

Structure

The structure of any Siamese twins phrase has words that are related in some way. The words comprising a Siamese twins phrase may be synonyms, antonyms, include alliterations or similar-sounding words that often rhyme. Other varieties of Siamese twins may also be possible.

Examples below are split into various tables; some may belong in more than one table but are listed only once.

With antonyms

back and forth balls and strikes beginning to end black and white big and small boys and girls the chicken or the egg cops and robbers coming and going cowboys and Indians dawn till dusk days and nights

east to west floor to ceiling food and drink foreign and domestic front to back give and take good or bad Heaven and Hell here and there hide and seek hill and dale high and low

his and hers hither and thither hot and cold hurry up and wait in and out land and sea life or death long and short mom and pop naughty or nice near and far night and day (difference) north to south now and then

old and new over and under park and ride pros and cons rank and file in sickness and in health start to finish sweet and sour stop and go thick and thin to and fro top to bottom

town and country up and down uptown and downtown victory and defeat war and peace wax and wane win or lose yes and no

With synonyms

ages and generations by hook or by crook cease and desist cheek by jowl

clean and tidy first and foremost hand over fist haughty and high minded heart and soul house and home

leaps and bounds neat and tidy six of one, half a dozen of the other nook and cranny

null and void peace and quiet pick and choose plain and simple prim and proper

nickel and dime dollars and cents rant and rave strait and narrow

With alliteration

bag and baggage baubles and beads bed and breakfast belt and braces the birds and the bees big and bad black and blue bold and beautiful bread and butter cash and carry chalk and cheese cliques and clans Dungeons and Dragons fast and furious

feast or famine forgive and forget form and function footloose and fancy free friend or foe fun and frolics fur and feathers ghosts and goblins guys and gals hearth and home hem and haw Jack and Jill Jew and Gentile kit and caboodle

kith and kin laugh out loud life and limb lock and load love it or leave it Lend-Lease mix and match part and parcel peas in a pod pen(cil) and paper pillar to post pig in a poke rack and ruin

rest and relaxation (a.k.a. R 'n' R) rock and roll read and write ready to rumble (without) rhyme or reason rough and ready rules and regulations safe and sound signs and symptoms sixes and sevens spick and span spit and shine

Stars and Stripes sticks and stones sugar and spice tit for tat top and tail tic-tac-toe this or that trick or treat tried and tested tried and true truck and trailer wash and wear witches and warlocks

With similar-sounding words

box of rocks box and cox chalk and talk charts and darts even Steven five and dime flotsam and jetsam fun in the sun handy-dandy helter skelter high and dry

hither and thither hocus pocus hoi polloi hot to trot huff and puff hustle and bustle mean, green, fighting machine meet and greet my way or the highway

namby-pamby name it and claim it near and dear never, ever odds and sods onwards and upwards out and about pell mell pedal to the metal pump and dump rough and tough shout and clout saggy baggy

silly billy stash and dash surf and turf time and tide wear and tear wham, bam, thank you, ma'am willy nilly wine and dine yea or nay

With repetition

Some of these are examples of Reduplication.

again and again all in all around and around arm in arm back to back billions and billions bit by bit bling-bling bumper to bumper by and by let bygones be bygones cheek to cheek come, come day in, day out

day to day day by day for days and days four-by-four (4x4) elbow to elbow dog eat dog from ear to ear end over end an eye for an eye eye to eye face to face forever and ever hand in hand hand to hand

head to head heart to heart higher and higher home sweet home horror of horrors kill or be killed king of kings little by little live and let live lower and lower man to man measure for measure more and more

mouth to mouth neck and neck never say never nose to nose on and on out and out over and over round and round shoulder to shoulder side by side side to side so and so step by step

strength to strength such and such through and through time after time time and time (again) (from) time to time two by two toe to toe (on the) up and up wall to wall for weeks and weeks (from) wire to wire woman to woman

Rhyming slang

Main article: Rhyming slang

Adam and Eve apples and pears bottle and glass

Brahms and Liszt dog and bone frog and toad

hand and blister north and south rabbit and pork

tit for tat trouble and strife two and eight

whistle and flute

Variants

Siamese twins occurring as a pair (that is, having two words occurring together) are also known as binomials. If the variant has three words occurring together, it is also known as a trinomial.

Examples of trinomials

beans, bullets, and bandages blood, sweat and tears Eagle, globe, and anchor bird, ball, and chain cool, calm and collected bewitched, bothered and bewildered ear, nose and throat here, there and everywhere hanged, drawn and quartered hook, line and sinker

first, second, and third gold, silver, and bronze win, place, or show hop, skip and jump judge, jury and executioner lock, stock and barrel mad, bad and dangerous nasty, brutish and short planes, trains, and automobiles ready, willing and able

reading, writing and 'rithmetic red, white and blue sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll sugar and spice and everything nice tall, dark and handsome the good, the bad and the ugly Tom, Dick and Harry

neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow shake, rattle and roll short and sweet and to the point small, medium, and large stop, drop and roll this, that, and the other up, down, and sideways way, shape, or form win, lose, or draw

See also

• Collocation
• Fossil word
• Merism

References and external links

• The Chicken or the Egg?: A Probabilistic Analysis of English Binomials
• The column Know Your English in the Indian newspaper The Hindu dated November 1, 2005.
• The Siamese twins of language - Article in the Education section of The Hindu dated 8 July 2003
• Frases Binomiales
• Some examples of Siamese twins employing the same word twice