Siamese twins (English language)

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The phrase Siamese twins in the context of the English language refers to a pair or grouping of words that is often used together as an idiomatic expression and usually conjoined by the words and or or. The expression take it or leave it is an example of Siamese twins. As a rule, the ordering of Siamese twins cannot be reversed as it makes the expression look meaningless. Hence, it is always take it or leave it but never leave it or take it. A Siamese twins phrase has a single, distinctive meaning.

1 Origin
2 Conjunction
3 Structure
4 Variants
- 4.1 Examples of trinomials
5 See also
6 References and external links

[edit] 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.

[edit] Conjunction

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

[edit] Examples of Siamese twins with "and" as the conjunction

airs and graces
alive and kicking
an arm and a leg
back and forth
be-all and end-all
bitter and twisted
blood and guts
bow and arrow
boys and girls
bubble and squeak
by and large
cat and mouse
cats and dogs
clean and tidy
Darby and Joan
down and out
far and away
far and wide
fast and loose
fingers and thumbs
fish and chips
grin and bear it
hammer and tongs
hard and fast
here and there
high and mighty
high and dry
home and dry
husband and wife
intents and purposes
knife and fork
ladies and gentlemen
law and order
live and let live
lock and load
loud and clear
make and mend
man and boy
man and wife
meat and potatoes
men and women
milk and honey
mother and father
mum and dad
nuts and bolts
odds and ends
once and for all
pick and mix
P's and Q's
rock and roll
shits and giggles [1]
sick and tired
skin and bone
song and dance
spit and polish
sweetness and light
there and then ("then and there" is also used.)
time and (time) again
tooth and nail
touch and go
trial and error
up and about
up and coming
warts and all

[edit] Examples of Siamese twins with "or" as the conjunction

all or nothing
day or night
do or die
kill or cure
make or break
more or less
one way or another
rain or shine
sink or swim
sooner or later
take it or leave it
yes or no

[edit] Examples of Siamese twins with other conjunctions or prepositions

(from) bad to worse
cheek by jowl
hand in glove
hand to mouth
head to foot
head to toe
(neither) fish nor fowl
(neither) hide nor hair
(neither) love nor money
next to nothing
second to none
slowly but surely
(from) time to time

[edit] Structure

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

[edit] Examples of Siamese twins employing antonyms

back to front
beginning to end
black and white
cops and robbers
coming and going
Cowboys and Indians
dawn till dusk
dead or alive
floor to ceiling
food and drink
give and take
give or take
heads or tails
hide and seek
high and low
hit and miss
in and out
inside out
life or death
near and far
night and day (However, "day and night" is also frequently used)
now and then
on and off (However, "off and on" is also frequently used, and the usage frequently depends on whether the "on" case or the "off" case is more notable.)
pros and cons
rank and file
start to finish
sweet and sour
them and us (However, "us and them" is also frequently used.)
to and fro
top to bottom
up and down
upside down
wax and wane
yes and no

[edit] Examples of Siamese twins employing synonyms

by hook or by crook (This originally referred to the right to gather firewood "by hook or by crook", literally, i.e. only allowed to use a blunt instrument that could only break off dry dead wood; but sharp cutting tools were used so often furtively that the expression got its present meaning of "by any means at all".)
cease and desist
first and foremost
heart and soul
leaps and bounds
neat and tidy
nook and cranny
peace and quiet
pick and choose
prim and proper
rack and ruin
rant and rave

[edit] Examples of Siamese twins employing alliteration

bag and baggage
belt and braces
the birds and the bees
black and blue
bread and butter
cash and carry
chalk and cheese (Although figuratively, these two words are used as antonyms)
fast and furious
fun and frolics
hearth and home
hem and haw
kith and kin
part and parcel
pillar to post
rest and recreation (a.k.a. R'n'R)
rest and relaxation (a.k.a. R'n'R)
rough and ready
safe and sound
sixes and sevens
spick and span
stars and stripes
sugar and spice
top and tail

[edit] Examples of Siamese twins employing similar-sounding words

box and cox
chalk and talk
flotsam and jetsam
hither and thither
huff and puff
hustle and bustle
meet and greet
namby-pamby
odds and sods
onwards and upwards
out and about
shout and clout
time and tide
tweedledum and tweedledee (tweedledee and tweedledum is also used)
wear and tear
willy-nilly
wine and dine

[edit] Examples of Siamese twins employing the same word twice

again and again
around and around
back to back
bumper to bumper
cheek to cheek
elbow to elbow
eye to eye
face to face
hand in hand
hand to hand
head to head
heart to heart
little by little
man to man
more and more
mouth to mouth
neck and neck
on and on
out and out
over and over
side by side
side to side
so and so
step by step
strength to strength
such and such
through and through
time after time
wall to wall
woman to woman

[edit] Examples of Siamese twins from Rhyming slang

Adam and Eve
apples and pears
bottle and glass
Brahms and Liszt
dog and bone
frog and toad
north and south
rabbit and pork
trouble and strife
two and eight
whistle and flute

[edit] 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.