I put my heart and soul into this video, so I hope you like it.
Each and every one of you is special to me.
And that's why today on LetThemTalkTV
I want to return to the continuing story of binomial pairs. Yes.
If you're learning English, you should know them through and through.
And I made a video on this subject some time ago,
which was absolutely brilliant.
Do check it out up here if you haven't seen it already.
And in that video, I gave you sixty of them.
I'm not sure yet, because I haven't counted them.
So, first of all, what are they?
Binomial pairs are fixed expressions.
with two adjectives nouns, or verbs
separated by a conjunction or a preposition, such as
AND so, for example, we've had our ups and downs,
Sometimes you can use another expression,
Little by little your improving your English.
Binomials have two main words.
But you can also have trinomials such as lock, stock and barrel,
which means entirely absolutely everything.
The company decided to relocate production,
lock, stock and barrel to a cheaper location overseas.
How many times have you heard that happen?
I mentioned in the last video and I'll mention it again.
used in English as phrasal verbs.
So if you're not using them, then why not?
And even if you don't use them, you need to understand them.
Phrasal verbs can be quite tricky to understand and use correctly,
but that's not really the case with if by normal pairs
and you can use them again and again.
There are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of phrasal verbs
that only about a couple of hundred common binomial pairs, I would say.
So with a bit of effort, you can learn them all.
This video is sponsored by me.
For those of you who want to dig deeper into binomials,
I've made a PDF file with [135] of the most common binomials
and trinomials, and I've recorded them all
So that you can listen to them again and again when you're out jogging,
doing the housework, cooking your lunch or whatever.
This was to considerable amounts of work on my part.
So there is a small charge for this, but if you want to learn
all about binomial and support the channel
two great reasons, then check it out in the description.
If you don't want to make this purchase,
then you can still join our newsletter, which is absolutely free.
order so back and forth, moving in one direction and then another.
But you can't say forth and back.
My boss kept calling me up and I had to go back and forth to his office all day.
The vast majority of binomial pairs are universally understood,
and that's an important point.
Recognized by everyone or almost everyone.
So you can very quickly convey your meaning or idea
you have repeating binomials such as day by day.
Day by day you have alliterations such as right as rain, so they can add
a little poetic element to your speech, right as rain means healthy again.
So, for example, little Johnny has a virus, but it's nothing serious.
And he'll be as right as rain in a couple of days.
What I find really interesting about binomials is that sometimes
binomials are kind of museum of the English language.
Sometimes a word has become obsolete in general use.
But it lives on in a binomial.
So, for example, spick and span is an everyday expression to mean
tidy clean up your room when I come back I want it looking spick and span.
However, separately, spick and span,
the meaning of these words are obsolete and never used.
Spick is a 16th century word for a nail,
and span is a 16th century word for a new splinter of wood.
The idea being that you got a new shiny
piece of furniture from the Carpenters workshop.
which is a similar meaning to back and forth.
I was on the boat and it was moving to and fro
fro comes from the Old Norse word fra meaning from.
But nobody has spoken Old Norse in England
Nobody says it in modern English except in this binomial.
You also have by hook or by crook,
which means by any means possible, by hook or by crook.
I will finish this by Tuesday.
Hook is still used, but a crook.
In this context, I won't explain the meaning now.
It's not really relevant, but it's obsolete.
You have no ifs or buts, which means no excuses.
If doesn't have a plural but doesn't have a plural.
But within the binomial it makes perfect sense.
Just get it done. No ifs or buts.
What's also fascinating is that binomials, might not even comply
Something is wrong everywhere else.
But you can bend the rules with a binomial.
Take, for example, good and proper, which is usually an adverb
and it means completely 100%.
I told you not to play with it and now you've broken
This time I've ended our relationship good and proper.
Of course it should be well and properly.
Here are a few more binomials: first and foremost.
You can use this expression in two ways.
Firstly, when you're speaking to a group of people or giving a speech,
or sometimes even with one person during a speech, you might say something
"Hello everybody good to see you.
First and foremost, I'd like to thank our lovely hosts, Judy and Kevin."
The second way to use it is to say that this is the most important thing.
So, for example, I know you want to go ahead of the project,
but first and foremost, we must sort out the problem with Judy and Kevin.
Next, I've chosen to teach you two phrasal verbs
which look very similar but are in fact, completely different.
We have give and take and give or take
For example, give or take means approximately.
The attic will be completed in two weeks, give or take a day or two.
Give and take means to compromise.
All relationships require a fair amount of give and take.
quick and dirty, but no, there's nothing dirty about it.
What quick and dirty means is that you made or did something
quickly in order to solve an immediate problem.
The solution may not be perfect, but that's what you've done.
So, for example, we made this quick and dirty business plan
on the back of an envelope while we were on the Metro,
and it ended up being the basis for a $10 million business.
The car broke down in the middle of the desert.
Barry made a quick and dirty repair and we managed to drive on to the next town.
The next one I've chosen is kiss and make up.
It may sound like the title of a romantic movie,
and it possibly is, but it's nothing to do with a love story.
Make up is a phrase with several meanings,
one of which is to reconcile after an argument or disagreement.
There is an idiom with a similar meaning to bury the hatchet.
Kiss and make up is a little bit more informal.
I didn't speak to my sister for years, but one day we decided
to talk it over and kiss and make up.
And now we're friends again. And here's one I like.
Leaps and bounds and that's why I'm including it here, by the way,
Now a leap is just a big jump about.
Now, here's where it gets a little bit confusing.
Don't confuse it with the verb to bind, which is an irregular verb,
which means to tie, which has a past tense bound.
For example, he was bound and gagged by the robbers.
When we say in leaps and bounds, it means rapid progress.
I often say this to my best students. Wow.
Your English has improved in leaps and bounds.
I'm sorry, Gideon, but I have no idea what you're talking about.
To which I reply, you have to learn your binomial pairs.
What the f*** is a binomial pair?
I mean. The next binomial is to be over and done with something.
Which means it's totally finished.
Probably something that you are not enjoying.
So for example, it's hard work. I know.
But once it's all over and done with, we can take a holiday.
Well, you'll be glad to know this video is over and done with.
Do check out the link in the description if you want to know
more about binomial pairs so that you know them inside and out.