Word pairs
A number of English idioms consist of pairs of words that are
mainly prepositions or time/place adverbs connected by and. Some of these
are given here, together with their meanings and sample sentences.
above and beyond: in addition to (what is expected or
required). Miss Tugwell not only did all that we asked her to; she did a
lot that was above and beyond the call of duty.
back and forth: from side to side; to and fro; from one
to the other. The shuttle buses went back and forth from the station to
the stadium all day.
by and large: in general; on the whole; for the most
part. I'm not in total agreement with all the details of their proposal,
but by and large I think it's a good plan.
down and out: without any money or means of support or
prospects. Do whatever you can to encourage him; he's really down and out
and needs all the help he can get.
far and away: by far; undoubtedly. She is far and away
the best student in the class. (Also, out and away.)
far and wide: over great distances. They searched far and
wide for the missing children. (Also, far and near.)
here and now: at the present moment; immediately. We
can't leave this until tomorrow; we must take care of it here
and now..
here and there: scattered in one place and another, at
various times or places. (1) The sky was like dark blue velvet, with here
and there a white star twinkling. (2) He worked here and there, never
staying in one place very long.
high and dry: deserted; stranded; in a deprived or dis
tressing situation. He took all our books and notes away and left us high
and dry, with no way to prepare for the meeting.
high and low: in every possible place; everywhere. I
looked high and low for the paper you had given me, but I couldn't find it
anywhere.
hither and thither: in various places; here and there.
They ran hither and thither trying to escape from the sudden
downpour.
hither and yon: in or to many places. We went hither and
yon trying to find the piece we had lost.
ins and outs: the intricacies of an activity or process.
After you learn the ins and outs of this job, you'll find it is not so
complex as it seems.
now and then: occasionally. After the fire, the forest
was quiet, but now and then you could hear a branch crack. (Also, now and
again.)
off and on: intermittently; with intervals between. It
rained off and on all day today. (Also, on and off.)
on and on: without stopping; at great length, so as to
become tiresome. We hoped it would be a short meeting, but Mr. Blatherskite
went on and on about his accomplishments.
on the up and up: (slang) open and honest. Are you sure
their offer is on the up and up? They haven't always been honest in their
dealings.
out and about: able to go out and travel around; well
enough to go out. Mrs. Mendwell is getting better every day; she'll be out
and about in no time.
out and out: complete or absolute; indisputable. There's
absolutely no truth in what Richard said; it's an out and out lie.
over and above: in addition to; besides. They made a
profit over and above the amount they had anticipated.
over and over: several times; repeatedly. Mrs. Crammer
had us repeat those phrases over and over until we could say them
perfectly.
through and through: through the whole extent of; thor
oughly; in all respects. You can trust Tom Trueheart completely; he's
honest through and through.
to and fro: back and forth; alternating from one place to
another. The slender branches swayed to and fro in the wind.
up and at (it/them): to get up and go at people or
things; to get active and get busy. We've got a lot to do today; let's get
up and at it.
up and around: recovered from an illness; able to leave
one's bed. He's doing much better now; he's been up and around for several
days. (Also, up and about.)
up and down: back and forth; backward and forward. He
kept pacing up and down, waiting for the verdict to be announced.
ups and downs: alternating periods of good and bad for
tune or spirits. Everybody has their ups and downs; I'm sure things will
look better to you tomorrow.