Word pairs – B1+ English Vocabulary

Word pairs

Word pairs, also known as irreversible binomials or non-reversible word pairs, are expressions consisting of two words that are always used in a fixed order. While their meanings can be literal, they are often abstract as well.

In this B1+ Upper-intermediate Vocabulary Lesson, you will learn 20 very common word pairs that are frequently used in everyday English. Check the pictures, definitions and examples below to understand these terms better.



1 Your bread and butter is the work or activity that gives you the money you need to live.  Bread and butter is also a simple food made by spreading butter on slices of bread.

• Construction is my bread and butter, whereas writing is just a hobby.
• The children were given some bread and butter before they went to bed.

2 When you keep going from one place to another and back again, you go back and forth.

• The novel moves back and forth from the past to the present day.

3 Hustle and bustle is used to talk about a place or activity that is very busy, with a lot of noise and movement.

• Though I sometimes wish for solitude, I love the hustle and bustle of family life.

4 When someone is safe and sound, they are alive and well after being in a dangerous situation.

• The children are now safe and sound and are sleeping in their bedroom.

5 When we talk about the pros and cons of something, we discuss the good and bad aspects of a situation.

• We discussed the pros and cons of accepting the proposal.

6 Wear and tear is the damage that happens to something when it is used a lot or over a long time.

• Some wear and tear to the flat is expected after being occupied for a year.

7 Odds and ends are a mix of different, usually unimportant items.

• I made a quick sandwich using odds and ends, which I’d found in the fridge.

8 When we do something now and then, we do it occasionally and not often.

• Although we’re not as close as we used to be, we still call each other now and then.

9 When an activity is fun and games, it is amusing and not serious.

• Ed thinks visiting his dad is fun and games as he lets him do what he wants.

10 If a situation is black and white, it means there are very clear and simple choices, or you have a strong opinion without doubts.

• For Sarah, the rules are black and white—you either follow them or you don’t, there’s no in-between.

11 Hide and seek is a children’s game in which one person hides while the other player closes their eyes, counts, then tries to find them.

• I used to love playing hide and seek with my brother as a child.

12 A hit-and-run incident is a motor accident in which the vehicle does not stop after hitting the victim.

• Three people were injured in a hit-and-run accident last night.

13 Law and order is a situation in which laws are obeyed and people behave in the correct way.

• As a police officer, it is my duty to maintain law and order in this town.

14 Trial and error is a method of solving a problem by trying a number of different methods and learning from the mistakes that you make.

• After a bit of trial and error, I finally managed to fix the engine.

15 Ups and downs are the good and bad things that happen in a person’s life.

• Although they are happy now, Lou and May have certainly had their ups and downs.

16 When you wine and dine someone, you treat them to a nice meal and drinks.

• As it was our anniversary, I decided to wine and dine Sara in a fancy restaurant.

17 When you are with or support someone through thick and thin, you are there for them in good and bad circumstances.

• I know I can rely on him to support me through thick and thin.

18 When something is a matter of life or death, it is a serious situation.

• Unless it’s a matter of life or death, we can talk about it later.

19 If someone or something is under lock and key, they are locked up in a place from which they are unable to escape.

• The female inmates are kept under lock and key on the first floor of the prison.

20 By and large is a word pair meaning ‘all things considered’ or ‘on the whole’.

• By and large, the event was a success, and we managed to raise quite a bit of money.

After completing the exercises in this lesson on Word Pairs, you can use the unit’s Vocabulary Flascards to revise and help you memorize the terms.