60 Incredibly Useful Phrases for Fluent English Conversation (Binomials)

now first and foremost I want to tell you about a way of expression that native English speakers use time and time again but are much much less used by learners of English I am of course talking about binomials or binomial pairs now I will say this loud and clear if you are learning English and you want to sound fluent even if you're not fluent you should start using them it is after all part and parcel of the English language from Shakespeare to Lady gaga everyone uses binomials binomials and sooner or later in order to reach

an advanced level little by little and step by step you have to start adding them to your conversation as soon as you do native English speakers will think wow this person speaks English good and proper he or she is using binomials okay that's a slight exaggeration because even though they use them all the time I don't think native speakers know the linguistic term binomial pairs okay unless you're a nerdy English teacher like me but after this video you will because today we are going to get to the nitty-gritty of binomials you're going to learn 60

60 of them give or take one or two but I'll keep it short and sweet so please take a moment away from the hustle and bustle of your daily life to study this important lesson because it's now or never so stay tuned [Music] hello and welcome to let them talk and today we're going to talk all about binomials so think of them as kind of a library of short fixed expressions usually in pairs but sometimes with three or four words which are often joined with and such as loud and clear I hear you loud and

clear or or such as take it or leave it this is my final offer you can take it or leave it though there are other forms too and we'll look at that the human brain is far too lazy and limited to invent original expressions for every conversation when we communicate we usually follow a formula which borrows heavily from pre-existing terms so when native speakers are communicating they will pepper their expression with binomial pairs which are clear short and understood by everyone did you know that binomials are just as common in English as phrasal verbs that's

right so do use them so let's have a look at some different types of binomials first of all binomial word order is generally fixed so for example you can say rise and shine wake up now it's already 9:00 a.m. rise and shine but you cannot say shine and rise that doesn't mean anything binomials can contain nouns for example flesh and blood which means a relation or a member of the family for example I know he's rude and cruel but I can't abandon Tommy is my brother is my flesh blood okay they can use verbs for

example sink-or-swim which means either you fail or you succeed for example new businesses entering the market don't get any help from anybody so it's sink or swim or adjectives for example sick and tired which means to be fed up of something or someone every time we meet you at least 20 minutes late I'm sick and tired of it okay now let's have a look at the sound patterns that most binomials fall into first of all you have rhyming binomials such as mumbo jumbo astrology is just a load of mumbo jumbo culture vulture she goes to

the museum the opera to theater something like that every day she's such a culture vulture wine and dine our hosts were very kind they wined and dined us throughout our stay you have alliterations where the first letter or sounds in the phrase is the same as the second one for example you live and learn from rags to riches this is a story of rags to riches from a poor child in the ghetto to a multi-million dollar business empire I guess you could reverse this one a tale of riches to rags when you you start off

rich and end up poor but almost all the time you can't reverse then tried-and-tested wearing a helmet is a tried and tested way of making a bike journey safer so you do it - next we have repeating the same word okay time after time you make the same mistake time after time let bygones be bygones the argument we had happened over 10 years ago let bygones be bygones and let's be friends again all in all all in all this is the best smartphone on the market now as well as binomials which have two main words

you do have trinomials for example beg steal and borrow I will do anything to make you happy I will beg steal and borrow Tom Dick or Harry look ask any Tom Dick or Harry and they will tell you broccoli is good for you why do you think you know better way shape or form no absolutely not you cannot be part of this organization in any way shape or form what's interesting is that some words that are obsolete in genuine English are still used and understood when they are used as a binomial pair so for example

spick-and-span which means very clean or tidy when I get back I want this house looking and span however the word and span separately are not used in modern English they are archaic by hook or by crook by hook or by crook I'll find out the name of the person who betrayed me okay so we are more or less halfway through so let's go through a few more binomials so we can reach the magic figure of 60 that I promised to teach you okay let's go by and large by and large pigs are more intelligent than

dogs it's true by the way so love dogs but love the pigs - tall dark and handsome detective smart was tall dark and handsome and about 30 years old safe and sound Wow there you are it's late I was worried about you I'm glad you are safe and sound ups and downs life has its ups and downs there are joyful times but difficult moments too pure and simple you are the best pure and simple pride and joy our new grandson is our pride and joy now and then now and then I wonder what life would

have been like if I had stayed in Scotland back and forth grandmother sat in her rocking chair swaying back and forth all evening about yeah wear and tear the uniform needs to be replaced every couple of years because of wear and tear down and out after his wife ran off with the butcher and he lost his job at the post office he ended up down-and-out asking passers-by for spare change in the city centre tooth and nail I will fight this case tooth and nail in the court until I am proved innocent high and dry when

the principal actress got sick at the last minute without a replacement the theatre was left high and dry law and order after the Revolution there was a complete breakdown in law and order odds and ends I'll be back soon I've just got a few odds and ends to finish up at the office okay odds and ends can also refer to an assortment of small things for example in this box I keep the odds and ends I need four for sewing right song-and-dance okay the spoon was dirty sorry but it's not that serious don't make a

song and dance about it and um and a leg my new car is my pride and joy but it cost me an arm and a leg tit for tat Jane didn't come to Sara's birthday party and now sara has not invited Jane to her wedding it's clearly a case of tit for tat black and white now this also has two meanings okay so free trade is not a black and white issue there are advantages and disadvantages you have no excuses the rules were written in black and whites before you started done and dusted now the

deal is done and dusted we can go out and celebrate far and wide we have looked for and wide for a replacement but so far without success pros and cons there are pros and cons of living in a big city ifs and buts now I don't want to hear any ifs and buts just do what I told you to do born and bred I'm a Londoner born and bred rough-and-ready the accommodation in the village was rough and ready but it was good enough for our needs through thick and thin my wife has stood by me

for over 30 years through thick and thin and now it's your turn write a sentence using a binomial in the comments and I want no gifs and bats from you just do it don't make us some dance bout it I be with you through thick and thin dear viewer but now it's time to rise and shine I don't want any mumbo-jumbo though you will