English Vocabulary for learners
BINOMIALS - 3
Fixed expressions with two words
Binomials from: 'make or break' to: 'pros and cons'
Binomials Expressions, page
3:
Binomials are pairs of words generally linked by a conjunction, for example 'mix and match'.
| BINOMIAL EXPRESSION |
MEANING | EXAMPLE |
|---|---|---|
| Make or break | Will lead to either success or failure. | This is a make-or-break collection. Our future depends on it. |
| Mix and match | Put different things together e.g. clothes, furniture … | In our house we like to mix and match different styles of furniture. |
| More and more | Increasing numbers or quantities. | More and more people shop online nowadays. |
| More or less | Approximately; nearly; mostly | Let's leave now. The party is more or less over. |
| Neat and tidy | With everything in good order. | I don't know how you manage to keep your desk so neat and tidy. |
| Nooks and crannies | Small spaces that are difficult to find. | They searched for the gold in all the nooks and crannies of the castle. |
| Now and again Now and then |
Sometimes but not very often. | We don’t eat out often, but now and again we go to a local Italian restaurant. |
| Now or never | At the present moment - you may not get another chance. | Go on! Ask him for an autograph. It’s now or never! |
| Null and void | Have no legal force or be invalid. | The agreement was declared null and void. |
| Nuts and bolts | The practical details or aspects of something. | Alice was qualified, but she still had to learn the nuts and bolts of the job. |
| Odds and ends | Various small items. Small tasks to finish. |
Part of the garage was full of odds and ends. I've got to take care of a few odds and ends before I leave. |
| On and off | Intermittently; occasionally. | I've been suffering from backache on and off this past year. |
| Out and about | Go out regularly and take part in an activity. | My mother was ill for a while, but she’s out and about again. |
| Out and out | Absolute; complete | Don’t trust that man. He’s an out-an-out liar! |
| Part and parcel | An integral or essential part of something. | Travel is part and parcel of the job. |
| Peace and quiet | Freedom from stress and noise; a period of calm. | I need some peace and quiet. I can't concentrate! |
| Pick and choose | Select only certain things and reject the others. | You must obey al the rules. You can't pick and choose! |
| Pins and needles | A tingling sensation in a part of the body. | I lay curled up for so long that I had pins and needles in my legs. |
| Plain and simple Pure and simple |
Plainly, without exaggeration or further explanation | If you cheat, you fail the exam – that’s the rule, plain/pure and simple! |
| Pride and joy | Something that makes you feel proud and happy. | The house he built is his pride and joy. |
| Prim and proper | Formal and socially correct. | She's too prim and proper to be seen drinking beer! |
| Pros and cons | The good and bad aspects; the advantages and disadvantages. | Before we decide on anything, we should discuss the pros and cons. |
more Binomials: