... and ... Pair Phrases

Question 1

to arrive / turn up / leave in dribs and drabs

Answer 1

to arrive, etc in small numbers / quantities and at irregular intervals
e.g. We’re receiving food, but it is only arriving in dribs and drabs.

Question 2

bright and early

Answer 2

(to wake up / get up / leave) very early in the morning (has a positive connotation)
e.g. If we leave bright and early tomorrow morning, we should get there by midday.

Question 3

by and large

Answer 3

generally
e.g. By and large, most people would prefer to have a badly paid job that they liked rather than a well paid job that they disliked.

Question 4

to be few and far between

Answer 4

not to be very common / to be very difficult to find

e.g. Good jobs are few and far between in days of high unemployment.

Question 5

to grin and bear it

Answer 5

to accept an unpleasant situation without complaining (probably because there is no choice)
e.g. A shorter lunch break is new company policy, so we’ll just have to grin and bear it.

Question 6

ins and outs

Answer 6

the details of a complicated situation / problem / system / proposal
e.g. We have yet to discuss all the ins and outs of his proposal.

Question 7

to make a song and dance about

Answer 7

to complain too much about sth, in a way that seems unnecessary
e.g. I was only 10 minutes late. Why are you making such a song and dance about it?

Question 8

odds and ends

Answer 8

small unimportant objects

e.g. Everything had been packed away in boxes except for a few odds and ends.

Question 9

once and for all

Answer 9

definitely and finally so that you end all doubt and uncertainty
e.g. He set out to prove once and for all that Deakin’s alibi was nothing but a tissue of lies.

Question 10

one’s own flesh and blood

Answer 10

a relative

e.g. We’re talking about my family here, my own flesh and blood. Of course I trust them.

Question 11

an out-and-out lie

Answer 11

a complete lie (used in reply to sb who has accused you of sth)
e.g. That is an out-and-out lie; you’ve made it all up!

Question 12

to be part and parcel of

Answer 12

a basic and fundamental part of (life / a job / a problem)
e.g. Having your private life splashed across the front pages of newspapers and glossy magazines is part and parcel of being a celebrity.

Question 13

peace and quiet

Answer 13

calm and tranquillity

e.g. We took a couple of days off and went to the country for a bit of peace and quiet.

Question 14

pride and joy

Answer 14

sth / sb that a person is very proud of and which / who is very important to them
e.g. His car / daughter / garden is his pride and joy.

Question 15

prim and proper

Answer 15

very conservative and easily offended (used to describe people)
e.g. She’s far too prim and proper to have written anything as scandalous as that.

Question 16

pushing and shoving

Answer 16

pushing (used with reference to crowded places)

e.g. After a lot of pushing and shoving, I finally made it to the counter where everything had been reduced by 50%.

Question 17

safe and sound

Answer 17

safe and unharmed (used when sb has not been harmed despite being in a potentially dangerous situation)
e.g. The two children, who had been missing for three days, were found safe and sound hiding in an abandoned mine shaft.

Question 18

spick and span

Answer 18

very clean

e.g. When I get back, I want this place looking spick and span.

Question 19

touch and go

Answer 19

doubtful (used with reference to important or life-threatening situations)
e.g. It was touch and go whether they would allow us to leave the country.

Question 20

up-and-coming

Answer 20

sb who shows a lot of promise and will probably be very successful in the future
up-and-coming artist / tennis player / pianist / writer
e.g. The government has introduced a scheme whereby up-and-coming young athletes will receive financial support.

Question 21

to have ups and downs

Answer 21

to have good times and bad times

e.g. What family doesn’t have its ups and downs?

Question 22

wear and tear

Answer 22

damage caused to furniture / clothes / equipment, by daily use
e.g. Even allowing for wear and tear, these chair covers should last for at least fifteen years.

Question 23

well and truly

Answer 23

completely (often used with lost and beaten)
e.g. After walking for three hours, we realised that we were well and truly lost.
As we had been well and truly beaten the Saturday before, the manager decided to make wholesale changes to the team.

Question 24

to win fair and square

Answer 24

to win fairly (often used when you have been accused of cheating)
e.g. What do you mean I cheated? I won fair and square, and you know it.