BINOMIAL
EXPRESSIONS – Does frequency matter?
Janice Golenbock
Phrase |
Words |
Spoken
– Total number of Occurrences |
Total
number of occurrences for all corpora |
Average
Number per Million words (spoken only) |
Skin and bones |
Skin |
182 |
5353 |
19.6/million |
|
Bones |
63 |
961 |
6.8/million |
Bread and water |
Bread |
212 |
2039 |
22.9/million |
|
water |
1663 |
15678 |
179.3/million |
Horse and driver |
Horse |
262 |
4369 |
28.3/million |
|
Driver |
178 |
4049 |
19.2/million |
Science and
technology |
Science |
1055 |
4543 |
113.8/million |
|
Technology |
665 |
4002 |
71.7/million |
Aches and pains |
Aches |
15 |
141 |
1.6/million |
|
Pains |
52 |
553 |
5.6/million |
Husband and wife |
Husband |
925 |
7963 |
99.8/million |
|
Wife |
743 |
11440 |
80.1/million |
Winners and losers |
Winners |
23 |
2905 |
2.5/million |
|
Losers |
10 |
359 |
1.1/million |
Bread and butter |
Bread |
212 |
2039 |
22.9/million |
|
Butter |
134 |
1349 |
14.5/million |
Women and children |
Women |
2329 |
25693 |
251.2/million |
|
Children |
3833 |
30169 |
413.4/million |
Fruits and
vegetables |
Fruit/fruits |
218 |
3702 |
23.5/million |
|
Vegetables |
104 |
1434 |
11.2/million |
Men and women |
Men |
1351 |
22426 |
145.7/million |
|
Women |
2329 |
25693 |
251.2/million |
Track and field |
Track |
338 |
4803 |
36.5/million |
|
Field |
764 |
6650 |
82.4/million |
Fish and chips |
Fish |
335 |
5219 |
36.1/million |
|
chips |
118 |
863 |
12.7/million |
Salt and pepper |
Salt |
124 |
1641 |
13.4/million |
|
Pepper |
107 |
903 |
11.5/million |
Mom and dad |
Mom/mum |
2532 |
6535 |
273.1/million |
|
dad |
1583 |
4953 |
170.7/million |
Cowboys and
Indians |
cowboys |
10 |
492 |
1.1/million |
|
Indians |
58 |
893 |
6.3/million |
Cats and dogs |
Cats |
98 |
1073 |
10.6/million |
|
Dogs |
436 |
2531 |
47.0/million |
Pen and pencil |
Pen |
125 |
1289 |
13.5/million |
|
Pencil |
62 |
502 |
6.7/million |
Tables and chairs |
Tables |
126 |
1451 |
13.6/million |
|
Chairs |
109 |
1052 |
11.8/million |
Ball and chain |
Ball |
458 |
8684 |
49.4/million |
|
Chain |
164 |
1868 |
17.7/million |
Nuts and bolts |
Nuts |
72 |
659 |
7.8/million |
|
Bolts |
30 |
173 |
3.21/million |
Black and white |
Black |
68 |
2094 |
7.3/million |
|
White |
68 |
2856 |
7.3/million |
Peanut butter and
jelly |
Peanut butter |
17 |
94 |
1.8/million |
|
Jelly |
28 |
557 |
3.0/million |
Bed and breakfast |
Bed |
828 |
6810 |
89.3/million |
|
Breakfast |
202 |
2547 |
21.8/million |
Surf and turf |
Surf |
4 |
621 |
0.4/million |
|
Turf |
13 |
471 |
1.4/million |
Sticks and stones |
Sticks |
140 |
830 |
15.1/million |
|
Stones |
65 |
1333 |
7.0/million |
Shirt and tie |
Shirt |
172 |
2750 |
18.5/million |
|
Tie |
166 |
2298 |
17.9/million |
Bride and groom |
Bride |
27 |
873 |
2.9/million |
|
Groom |
9 |
355 |
1.0/million |
Brother and sister |
Brother |
939 |
5235 |
101.3/million |
|
Sister |
859 |
4322 |
92.6/million |
Horse and carriage |
Horse |
262 |
4369 |
28.3/million |
|
Carriage |
21 |
395 |
2.3/million |
Sit and listen |
Sit |
1378 |
4968 |
148.6/million |
|
Listen |
873 |
3308 |
94.7/million |
Go and see |
Go |
21797 |
58144 |
2350.7/million |
|
See |
17678 |
54467 |
1906.5/million |
Read and write |
Read |
2191 |
9693 |
236.3/million |
|
Write |
1572 |
7241 |
169.5/million |
Walk and run |
Walk |
1607 |
6202 |
173.3/million |
|
Run |
1967 |
15622 |
212.1/million |
Cook and clean |
Cook |
238 |
3047 |
25.7/million |
|
Clean |
397 |
4246 |
42.8/million |
Stop and shop |
Stop |
1578 |
10209 |
170.2/million |
|
Shop |
1632 |
6127 |
176.0/million |
Shake and bake |
Shake |
79 |
1216 |
8.5/million |
|
Bake |
16 |
310 |
1.7/million |
Laugh and cry |
Laugh |
346 |
2018 |
37.3/million |
|
Cry |
148 |
1660 |
16.0/million |
Come and go |
Come |
11072 |
37299 |
1194.1/million |
|
Go |
21797 |
58144 |
2350.1/million |
Kick and scream |
Kick |
200 |
2981 |
21.6/million |
|
Scream |
49 |
649 |
5.3/million |
Shop and save |
Shop |
1632 |
6127 |
176.0/million |
|
Save |
456 |
6349 |
49.2/million |
Wash and dry |
Wash |
246 |
1568 |
25.6/million |
|
Dry |
234 |
3653 |
25.2/million |
Hit and run |
Hit |
604 |
10921 |
65.1/million |
|
Run |
1967 |
15622 |
212.1/million |
Eat and run |
Eat |
678 |
3861 |
73.1/million |
|
Run |
1967 |
15622 |
212.1/million |
Rock and roll |
Rock |
13 |
152 |
1.4/million |
|
Roll |
131 |
750 |
14.1/million |
Shower and shave |
Shower |
133 |
1053 |
14.3/million |
|
Shave |
21 |
225 |
2.3/million |
Wash and wax |
Wash |
185 |
843 |
20.0/million |
|
Wax |
1 |
44 |
0.1/million |
Push and shove |
Push |
375 |
1985 |
40.4/million |
|
Shove |
25 |
164 |
2.7/million |
Watch and win |
Watch |
782 |
6736 |
84.3/million |
|
Win |
322 |
1672.3 |
34.7/million |
Bump and grind |
Bump |
18 |
129 |
1.9/million |
|
Gind |
12 |
126 |
1.3/million |
Plug and chug |
Plug |
38 |
247 |
4.1/million |
|
Chug |
0 |
14 |
0/million |
Crash and burn |
Crash |
74 |
2186 |
8.0/million |
|
Burn |
82 |
959 |
8.8/million |
Give and take |
Give |
5061 |
24477 |
545.8/million |
|
Take |
7124 |
41603 |
768.3/million |
Big and tall |
Big |
4193 |
23962 |
452.2/million |
|
Tall |
171 |
2412 |
18.4/million |
Open and shut |
Open |
902 |
10278 |
97.3/million |
|
Shut |
435 |
2527 |
46.9/million |
Hot and heavy |
Hot |
425 |
5824 |
45.8/million |
|
Heavy |
313 |
5110 |
33.8/million |
Rough and tough |
Rough |
193 |
1666 |
20.8/million |
|
Tough |
168 |
3973 |
18.1/million |
Wet and wild |
Wet |
229 |
1873 |
24.7/million |
|
Wild |
173 |
3460 |
18.7/million |
Black and blue |
Black |
892 |
14773 |
96.2/million |
|
Blue |
292 |
5698 |
31.5/million |
High and dry |
High |
1622 |
24151 |
174.9/million |
|
Dry |
180 |
3125 |
19.4/million |
Bright and sunny |
Bright |
254 |
3093 |
27.4/million |
|
Sunny |
49 |
679 |
5.3/million |
Soft and cuddly |
Soft |
155 |
3806 |
16.7/million |
|
Cuddly |
8 |
170 |
0.9/million |
Sweet and sour |
Sweet |
194 |
2503 |
20.9/million |
|
Sour |
26 |
538 |
2.8/million |
Hot and spicy |
Hot |
433 |
5869 |
46.7/million |
|
Spicy |
14 |
302 |
1.5/million |
True and false |
True |
1471 |
8742 |
158.6/million |
|
False |
236 |
1682 |
25.5/million |
Phrase |
Forward
in spoken (#
occurrences) |
Forward
total (#
occurrences) |
Backwards
in spoken (#
occurrences) |
Backwards
total (#
occurrences) |
Skin and bones |
0 |
10 |
0 |
1 |
Horse
and driver |
0 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
Science and
technology |
15 |
159 |
6 |
11 |
Husband and wife |
12 |
144 |
2 |
4 |
Winners and losers |
1 |
45 |
0 |
2 |
Women and children |
4 |
403 |
1 |
10 |
Fruits and
vegetables |
2 |
44 |
1 |
11 |
Men and women |
67 |
1106 |
5 |
93 |
Track and field |
1 |
66 |
1 |
2 |
Salt and pepper |
2 |
186 |
1 |
3 |
Cats and dogs |
4 |
47 |
2 |
50 |
Pen and pencil |
1 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
Tables and chairs |
2 |
21 |
2 |
12 |
Shirt and tie |
2 |
24 |
0 |
1 |
Brother and sister |
22 |
108 |
5 |
19 |
Sticks and stones |
0 |
16 |
0 |
2 |
Read and write |
46 |
131 |
1 |
8 |
Walk and run |
1 |
5 |
0 |
2 |
Laugh and cry |
0 |
9 |
1 |
1 |
Come and go |
15 |
108 |
3 |
5 |
Kick and scream |
1 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
Shower and shave |
0 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
Give and take |
15 |
59 |
1 |
2 |
Rough and tough |
0 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
Wet and wild |
0 |
4 |
0 |
3 |
Black and blue |
5 |
29 |
3 |
8 |
Big and tall |
0 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
Bright and sunny |
0 |
3 |
0 |
1 |