Why do we put certain word in a certain order?
I was being grumpy about the dog wanting in and out, in and out, in and out, in and out….and it struck me. He is more properly going out and in, out and in, but we never say it that way. I wonder if it’s because the word “In,” lends itself to transition to “and” more easily that “out” does. And in fact, I don’t even pronounce the and “and.” I just give an cursory “nn” sound. It’s like an extension of the “n” in “in.”
Salt n pepper is another example. I have never heard any one say “pepper and salt.”
What are some other words that you can think of that we put in certain orders, and why?
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13 Answers
Like the French calling Hot Dogs “Chen Chaud” or dog hots?
Roll ‘n Rock
Chips ‘n Fish
Chong and Cheech
Back & forth, up & down. I too suspect that the first term in the pair is the one considered variation from the “norm”, “home”, “at rest” or “neutral”
Everwhat blows your up skirt.
Do you put your left shoe and sock on first? Or your right? Do you put on a sock and a shoe and a sock and a shoe or a sock and a sock and a shoe and a shoe??
Euphony. It sounds better.
Can you imagine watching Jekyll and Hekyll?
What Martin and Rowan’s Laugh In?
Robin and Batman?
The Ecstasy and the Agony?
Can we all raise for the White, Blue, and Red?
Maybe have Chips and Fish for dinner?
Or go to Kresge’s Ten and Five store?
Or go to the deli and get a Tomato, Lettuce, and Bacon sandwich?
So it’s about the main event taking precedence? So eggs & bacon gives testament to a shortage of eggs?
With Batman and Robin it is rank. The same goes for five and dime. You are in that case going up in value.
I am watching the Die Hard movies as part of my Christmas line up. Only the first two are Christmas, but why stop at two? Anyway, in the third, John gets a clue to the bad guys when a German says “it will be raining dogs and cats.”
It popped right out to me, and I do switch some of the more popular ones on purpose, just as a matter of amusement.
Black and blue
Bells and whistles
Mani pedi
Hat and coat
Table and chairs
Black and white
Song and dance
Smoke and mirrors
Ladies and gentlemen
For some, people go with what is rhythically smoothest.
Many have simply been repeated as they were first heard.
I like the “Euphony” answer. (I had to look the word.up…)
@Dutchess_lll “I like the “Euphony” answer. (I had to look the word.up…)”
Shock and surprise.
Syntax and morphology.
I suggest you practice using original word sequences and combinations. It gets everyone thinking and listening differently and tends to wake people up and get their brains somewhat more engaged than usual. It can have unexpected beneficial consequences. So can doing physical things in non-habitual ways, taking non-habitual paths, etc.
In and out makes sense. In general, you start out on the outside and go inside, like saying you went to a store and were in and out in five minutes.
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