accident and emergency : “The room or department in a hospital where people go if they have an accident or suddenly become ill.” (LDOCE4)
accord and satisfaction : “The settlement of a debt by paying less than the amount demanded in exchange for extinguishing the debt.” (WN2.1)
Adam-and-Eve : “A North American orchid (Aplectrum hyemale) having a slender naked rootstock and producing a solitary leaf and a scape bearing a raceme of brownish flowers.” (MWOD)
aid and abet : “To assist somebody in commission of a crime.” (EWED)
airs and graces : “False ways of behaving that are intended to make other people feel that you are important and belong to a high social class.” (CIDI)
alarums and excursions : “1. Loud, frantic, or excited activity; clamor. 2. The sounds of war or warlike activity. Used as a stage direction for moving of soldiers across stage, as in Shakespeare’s plays.” (AHD4)
alive and kicking / alive and well : “1. Still living and healthy or active, especially when this is surprising. 2. Still existing and not gone or forgotten, especially when this is surprising.” (MEDAL)
all-or-nothing : “1. Involving either complete success or failure, with no intermediate result. 2. Refusing to accept less than all demands; uncompromising.” (AHD4)
arts and crafts : “The hand production of decoratively designed everyday objects, especially as a skilled craft or as part of an educational or rehabilitation pro-gram.” (EWED)
assault and battery : “The action of threatening a person together with making physical contact with them.” (COEDCE2)
back and fill : “1. To maneuver a vessel in a narrow channel by adjusting the sails so as to let the wind in and out of them in alternation. 2. To vacillate in one’s actions or decisions.” (AHD4)
back-and-forth : “Unresolved argument or discussion.” (RHUD)
bacon and eggs : 1. “Eggs (fried or scrambled) served with bacon.” (WN2.1). 2. Voir eggs and bacon.
bait and switch : “A sales tactic in which a bargain-priced item is used to attract customers who are then encouraged to purchase a more expensive similar item.” (AHD4)
ball and chain : “1. A type of restraint formerly used for prisoners consisting of an iron ball on a chain that is attached at its other end to the prisoner’s ankle. 2. Something considered to be a great hindrance or restraint. 3. An offensive term deliberately insulting a man’s wife.” (EWED)
barrister and solicitor : “An attorney in the common-law provinces of Canada who is licensed to prepare cases and argue them in court.” (AHD4)
bed and board : “1. Living quarters and meals. 2. One’s home regarded as exemplifying the obligations of marriage.” (RHUD)
bed and breakfast : “1. An accommodation offered by an inn, hotel, or especially a private home, consisting of a room for the night and breakfast the next morning for one inclusive price. 2. An inn, hotel, or private home offering such an accom-modation.” (RHUD)
beer and skittles : “A situation of agreeable ease.” (MWOD)
bells and whistles : “Nonessential features or enhancements intended especially to add commercial appeal.” (AHD4)
belt and braces : “Using two methods or devices for double security.” (PED)
bill and coo : “To behave or talk in a loving and sentimental way.” (COEDCE2)
bits and pieces / bits and bobs : “1. Someone’s possessions or furniture. 2. Small indi-vidual things.” (MEDAL)
black-and-blue : “Darkly discolored from blood effused by bruising.” (MWOD)
black and tan (N) : “1. Usually, Black and Tans. An armed force of about 6000 soldiers sent by the British government to Ireland in June, 1920, to suppress revolutionary activity : so called from the colors of their uniform. 2. A member of this force. 3. A drink made of equal parts of ale and stout or porter. 4. A black-and-tan dog.” (RHUD)
black-and-tan (A) : “1. Having a black coat with tannish markings. Used of a dog. 2. In-volving, recognizing, or admitting Black and white people equally.” (AHD4)
black-and-white : “1. Partially black and partially white. 2. Being in writing or print. 3a. Rendered in black and white or in achromatic colors. 3b. Of or relating to the reproduction or presentation of visual images in black and white. 4. Expressing, recognizing, or based on two mutually exclusive sets of ideas or values. (AHD4)
block and tackle : “A lifting mechanism consisting of ropes, a pulley block, and a hook.” (COEDCE2)
blood and thunder : “Sensationalism, violence, or exaggerated melodrama.” (RHUD)
blood-and-guts : “1. Dealing with or depicting war or violence, especially in a lurid manner. 2. Concerned with fundamental needs, problems, values, etc.” (RHUD)
bloodied but unbowed : “Harmed but not defeated by an unpleasant situation or competition.” (CIDI)
bob and weave : “(Of a boxer) Move rapidly up and down and from side to side as an evasive tactic.” (COD10)
boom and bust / boom or bust : “The alternation in an economy or market between immoderate growth and collapse and recession.” (EWED)
born and bred : “If you were born and bred in a place, you were born and grew up in that place and have the typical character of someone who lives there.” (CIDI)
bound and determined : “Very determined to do or achieve something, especially something difficult.” (LDOCE4)
bow and arrow : “A weapon consisting of arrows and the bow to shoot them.” (WN2.1)
bow and scrape : “To behave obsequiously.” (AHD4)
bread and butter : “1. Bread spread with butter. 2. A basic means of support; source of livelihood; sustenance. 3. The essential sustaining element or elements; the mainstay.” (RHUD & AHD4)
bread and circuses : “Offerings, such as benefits or entertainments, intended to placate discontent or distract attention from a policy or situation.” (AHD4)
breaking and entering : “The act of forcing or otherwise gaining unlawful passage into and entering another’s building.” (MWOD)
bricks and mortar : 1. “Building material consisting of bricks laid with mortar between them.” (WN2.1) 2. “A house, flat, or other building considered as property.” (MEDAL)
bricks-and-mortar : “1. Used to denote a building or buildings (whether or not made of bricks and mortar). 2. Basic and essential.” (AHDI) 3. “A bricks-and-mortar business is a traditional business that does not operate on the Internet.” (MEDAL)
bright-eyed and bushy-tailed : “Full of energy and eager to do things.” (CIDI)
brown-and-serve : “Requiring only a brief period of browning, as in an oven, before being ready to serve.” (RHUD)
bubble and squeak : “A dish of cooked cabbage fried with cooked potatoes.” (COEDCE2)
buck-and-wing : “A solo tap dance with sharp foot accents, springs, leg flings, and heel clicks.” (MWOD)
butter-and-eggs : “Any of certain plants whose flowers are of two shades of yellow, as the toadflax, Linaria vulgaris.” (RHUD)
cakes and ale : “The good things of life; material pleasures.” (RHUD)
call-and-response : “Of or relating to a style of singing in which the melody sung by one singer is responded to or echoed by another or others.” (AHD4)
cap and gown : “A ceremonial mortarboard and gown worn by faculty, students, etc., as at commencement.” (RHUD)
carrot-and-stick : “Relating to or characterized by the use of persuasion involving a combination of rewards and punishments.” (EWED)
cash-and-carry : “1. A store selling inexpensive goods that are paid for in cash and taken away by the buyer. 2. A policy of selling items for cash with no delivery service to customers.” (EWED)
cat-and-dog : “1. Continuously or unceasingly vicious and destructive.2. (Of a security) Highly speculative and of questionable value.” (RHUD)
cat and mouse / cat and rat : “A children’s game in which players in a circle keep a player from moving into or out of the circle and permit a second player to move into or out of the circle to escape the pursuing first player.” (RHUD)
cat-and-mouse : “1. Playfully or teasingly cruel, as in prolonging the pain or torment of another. 2. Of or involving a suspenseful and sometimes alternating relation beween hunter and hunted.” (AHD4)
catch and release : “A conservation policy adopted by some anglers whereby they release some or all of the fish they catch in order to sustain fish popu-lations.” (EWED)
cause-and-effect : “Noting a relationship between actions or events such that one or more are the result of the other or others.” (RHUD)
chalk and talk : “A traditional method of education in which the teacher addresses the students, using a blackboard to provide examples or illustrations.” (EWED)
chapter and verse : “1. Full, detailed information on a subject or issue. 2. Bible A specific passage.” (AHD4)
cheap and cheerful : “Costing little money but attractive, pleasant, or enjoy-able.” (CIDI)
cheap and nasty : “Costing little money and of bad quality.” (CIDI)
checks and balances : “Limits imposed on all branches of a government by vesting in each branch the right to amend or void those acts of another that fall within its purview.” (RHUD)
chew-’n’-spew : “Any fastfood establishment viewed as selling poor-quality food.” (MBS 241 )
chicken-and-egg / chicken-or-egg : “Of, pertaining to, or being a dilemma of which of two things came first or of which is the cause and which the effect.” (RHUD)
chief cook and bottle-washer : “A person who, as well as being responsible for some enterprise, also does much of the work, especially manual work for it.” (MBS)
chip and PIN : “A system of paying for something with a credit card or debit card in which the card has information stored on it in the form of a microchip and you prove your identity by typing a number (your PIN) rather than by signing your name.” (OALD7)
chop and change : “To keep changing what you do or what you plan to do, often in a way that is confusing and annoying for other people.” (CIDI)
clean and jerk : “A weightlift in which the barbell is lifted to shoulder height and then jerked overhead.” (WN2.1)
clicks-and-mortar : “Used for describing a business that operates in traditional ways and by using the Internet.” (MEDAL)
cloak-and-dagger : “Marked by melodramatic intrigue and often by espionage.” (AHD4)
cloak-and-sword : “(Of a drama or work of fiction) Dealing with characters who wear cloaks and swords; concerned with the customs and romance of the nobility in bygone times.” (RHUD)
coach-and-four : “A coach together with the four horses by which it is drawn.” (RHUD)
codlins-and-cream : “A plant of Europe and Asia having purplish-red flowers and hairy stems and leaves; introduced into North America.” (WN2.1)
common or garden : “Ordinary or everyday.” (PED)
cops and robbers : “A children’s game in which a group of players imitate the behavior of police and of thieves, as in pursuing and capturing.” (RHUD)
country and western : “Country music.” (AHD4)
cowboys and Indians : “A children’s game in which players imitate the supposed behavior of cowboys and Indians in conflict, as in shooting, chasing, and capturing.” (RHUD)
crash and burn : “1. To fail utterly. 2. To fall asleep from exhaustion. 3. To wipe out, as in skateboarding.” (AHD4)
cut and fill : “A process of localized gradation whereby material eroded from one place is deposited a short distance away.” (RHUD)
cut and paste : “(On a word processor or computer) Move (an item) from one part of a text to another.” (COEDCE2)
cut and run : “1. To cut the anchor cable and set sail, as in an emergency. 2. To leave as hurriedly as possible; flee.” (RHUD)
cut-and-cover : “A method for digging a tunnel, laying pipe, etc., by cutting a trench, constructing the tunnel or laying the pipe in it, and covering with the excavated material.” (RHUD)
cut-and-dried : “1. Prepared or settled in advance; not needing much thought or discussion. 2. Lacking in originality or spontaneity; routine; boring.” (RHUD)
cut-and-paste : “Assembled or produced from various existing bits and pieces.” (RHUD)
cut-and-shut : “A car created by welding together the bodies of two cars that have been damaged in an accident.” (EWED)
cut-and-try : “Done by trial and error, using experimental procedures.” (EWED)
day-and-night : “At all times.” (WN2.1)
dead and buried : “No longer in use or under consideration.” (AHD4)
dead-and-alive : “Without any interest or vitality.” (EWED)
deaf-and-dumb : “Lacking the sense of hearing and the ability to speak.” (WN2.1)
dilation and curettage : “A surgical procedure in which the cervix is expanded using a dilator and the uterine lining scraped with a curette, performed for the diagnosis and treatment of various uterine conditions.” (AHD4)
divide and rule / divide and conquer : “Maintain control over opponents by encouraging a disunity that makes their opposition ineffective.” (COEDCE2)
dollars-and-cents : “Considered strictly in terms of money.” (RHUD)
done and dusted : “Completely finished.” (OALD7)
do-or-die : “1. Reflecting or characterized by an irrevocable decision to succeed at all costs; desperate; all-out. 2. Involving a potentially fatal crisis or crucial emergency.” (RHUD)
down-and-dirty : “1. Intently and fiercely competitive, often unscrupulously so. 2. Bawdy; lewd.” (AHD4)
down-and-out : “1. Without any money, or means of support, or prospects; destitute; penniless. 2. Without physical strength or stamina; disabled; incapacitated. 3. Too physically weakened by repeated defeats to qualify as a competent professional boxer.” (RHUD)
drag and drop : “To perform tasks on a computer by clicking onto items, moving them across the screen with the mouse, and releasing them on a particular icon.” (EWED)
draw and quarter : “1. To execute (a prisoner) by tying each limb to a horse and driving the horses in different directions. 2. To disembowel and dismember after hanging. 3. To punish severely.” (AHD4)
drum and bass / drum’n’bass : “A type of popular music originating in the U.K. in the 1990s that has a fast rhythm, complex percussion, and very low bass lines. It is influenced by hard core and reggae.” (EWED)
drunk-and-disorderly : “Someone arrested on the charge of being drunk and disorderly.” (WN2.1)
duck and dive : “Use one’s ingenuity to deal with or evade a situation.” (COEDCE2)
ducks and drakes : “A game of throwing flat stones so that they skim along the surface of water.” (COEDCE2)
ebb and flow : “1. To keep becoming smaller or weaker and then larger or stronger. 2. To keep changing between two states.” (MEDAL)
eff and blind : “Swear.” (COEDCE2)
egg-and-dart : “A decorative molding consisting of a series of egg-shaped figures alternating with dart-shaped, anchor-shaped, or tongue-shaped figures.” (AHD4)
eggs and bacon / bacon and eggs : “Any of a number of plants with yellow flowers marked with orange, red, or brown, supposedly suggestive of eggs and bacon, especially bird’s-foot trefoil.” (COD10)
facts and figures : “Accurate and detailed information.” (OALD7)
fast and furious : “Done very quickly with a lot of effort and energy, or happening very quickly with a lot of sudden changes.” (LDOCE4)
feast-or-famine : “Characterized by alternating, extremely high and low degrees of prosperity, success, volume of business, etc.” (RHUD)
fetch and carry : “Run backwards and forwards bringing things to someone in a servile way. (COEDCE2)
fine and dandy : “All right, excellent; often used sarcastically in the sense of ‘not all right’ or ‘bad’.” (AHDI)
fire and brimstone : “1. The punishment of hell. 2. Homiletic rhetoric describing or warning of the punishment of hell.” (AHD4)
fish and chips : “A fillet of fish deep-fried in batter, served with French fries.” (EWED)
five-and-ten / five-and-dime (= five-and-ten-cent store) : “A store offering a wide as-sortment of inexpensive items, formerly costing five or ten cents, for personal and household use.” (RHUD)
flesh and blood : “1. Human nature or physical existence, together with its weaknesses. 2. A person’s blood relatives; kin. 3. Substance and depth in artistic portrayal; lifelikeness.” (AHD4)
flotsam and jetsam : “1. Things that you find floating in the sea or lying on the beach, especially parts of a ship that has sunk. 2. Things that are lying around a place in an untidy way. 3. An insulting word for people who have no homes or jobs.” (MEDAL)
foot-and-mouth (= foot-and-mouth disease) : “A contagious virus disease of cattle, sheep, pigs, and goats, characterized by small ulcers in the mouth, about the hoofs, and on the udders and teats.” (PED)
footloose and fancy-free : “Free to do what one wants, especially because of not being involved in a relationship.” (PED)
forgive and forget : “To decide not to continue being angry about something someone has done, and not to allow your memory of it to influence your future relation-ship.” (MEDAL)
free and easy : “Marked by informality and lack of constraint; casual.” (PED)
free and clear : “Used to describe a title to a property whose ownership is not in doubt and where there are no liens, for example, from lenders.” (EWED)
fun and games : “Frivolously diverting activity.” (RHUD)
fur and feather : “Game mammals and birds.” (COD10)
fuss and feathers : “An excessively elaborate or pretentious display; osten-tation.” (RHUD)
get-up-and-go : “Energy and enthusiasm.” (EWED)
gin and tonic : “A drink made with gin and quinine water, served in a tall glass and usually garnished with a slice of lime or lemon.” (RHUD)
give-and-take : “1. The practice of compromise. 2. Lively exchange of ideas or conver-sation.” (AHD4)
gloom and doom / doom and gloom : “An account or prediction of adversity, especially in economic or business affairs; bad news.” (RHUD)
goods and chattels : “All kinds of personal possessions.” (COEDCE2)
grace-and-favour : “Denoting a house, flat, etc., in which somebody is allowed to live rent-free as a special privilege granted by the sovereign or government.” (PED)
hale and hearty : “Someone, especially an old person, who is hale and hearty is very healthy and active.” (LDOCE4)
ham and eggs : “Eggs (scrambled or fried) served with ham.” (WN2.1)
hammer and sickle : “An emblem of the Communist movement signifying the alliance of workers and peasants.” (AHD4)
hard-and-fast : “Strongly binding; not to be set aside or violated.” (RHUD)
hare and hounds : “An outdoor game in which certain players, the hares, start off in advance on a long run, scattering small pieces of paper, called the scent, with the other players, the hounds, following the trail so marked in an effort to catch the hares before they reach a designated point.” (RHUD)
health and safety : “The part of the government and legal system that deals with people’s health and safety at work.” (MEDAL)
hearth and home : “Used for referring to your home and family.” (MEDAL)
heel-and-toe (V) : “(Motor sports) To operate the brake and accelerator pedals at the same time with one foot, usually to keep the engine revolutions high when shifting to a lower gear while racing.” (EWED)
heel-and-toe (A) : “Characterized by a stride in which the heel of one foot touches ground before the toe of the other foot is lifted, as in walking races.” (AHD4)
hem and haw / hum and haw : “To be hesitant and indecisive; equivocate.” (AHD4)
hen-and-chickens : “Any one of several plants, especially the houseleek, producing new plants as offsets that grow at the end of horizontal shoots or runners from the main plant.” (EWED)
hide-and-seek : “A children’s game in which one player lets the others hide, and then tries to find them.” (EWED)
high and dry : “1. In a position of helplessness; stranded. 2. Out of water. Used of a ship, for example.” (AHD4)
high-and-mighty : “Marked by arrogance; haughty and overbearing.” (AHD4)
high and tight : “A military hairstyle in which the sides of the head are shaved and the top is cut very short.” (OALD7)
hit-and-miss / hit-or-miss : “Sometimes successful and sometimes not; not reliably good or successful.” (MWOD)
hit-and-run : “1. Used to describe or relating to a road accident in which the driver who has hit another person or motor vehicle leaves the scene without stopping. 2. Relying on surprise and speed to overcome an enemy. 3. Used to describe a baseball play in which a base runner starts for the next base as the pitcher throws the ball, which the batter must swing at to protect the runner from being thrown out.” (EWED)
hit-or-miss : “Marked by a lack of care, accuracy, or organization; random.” (AHD4)
hole-and-corner : “1. Secretive; clandestine; furtive. 2. Trivial and colorless.” (RHUD)
hook and eye : “1. A clothes fastener consisting of a small blunt metal hook that is inserted in a corresponding loop or eyelet. 2. A latch consisting of a hook that is inserted in a screw eye.” (AHD4)
hop-step-and-jump : “An athletic contest in which a competitor must perform succes-sively a hop and a step and a jump in continuous movement.” (WN2.1)
horse-and-buggy : “1. Belonging or relating to the era before the invention of the automobile. 2. Adhering to things, fashions, or ideas that are old-fashioned and out of date.” (EWED)
hot and bothered : “In a state of agitated excitement; flustered.” (AHD4)
hot and heavy : “1. Passionate or intense. 2. Characterized by or engaging in amorous or sexual activity.” (AHD4)
hub-and-spoke : “Being or relating to a system of routing air traffic in which a major airport serves as a central point for coordinating flights to and from other airports.” (MWOD)
hue and cry : “1. A public clamor, as of protest or demand. 2a. The pursuit of a felon announced with loud shouts to alert others who were then legally obliged to give chase. 2b. The loud outcry formerly used in such a pursuit.” (AHD4)
huff and puff (= huff) : “1. To breathe noisily, usually because you have been doing physical exercise. 2. To complain noisily about something but not be able to do anything about it.” (CIDI)
hundreds and thousands : “Tiny sugar beads of varying colours used for decorating cakes and desserts.” (COEDCE2)
hunt-and-peck : “A slow method of typing in which an untrained typist seeks out each key before striking it.” (AHD4)
hustle and bustle : “Busy and noisy activity.” (CIDI)
in-and-out (A) : “In or participating in a particular job, investment, etc., for a short time and then out, especially after realizing a quick profit.” (RHUD)
in-and-out (N) : “Manège. An obstacle consisting of two fences placed too far apart to be cleared in one jump and too close together to allow more than one or two strides between.” (RHUD)
ins and outs : “1. The intricate details of a situation, decision, or process. 2. The windings of a road or path.” (AHD4)
Jekyll and Hyde : “Somebody who has two distinct personalities, one good and the other evil.” (EWED)
joint and several : “(Of a legal obligation) Undertaken by two or more people, each having liability for the whole.” (COEDCE2)
kill or cure : “An action you take that will either destroy something or save it com-pletely.” (MEDAL)
kiss and make up :“If two people kiss and make up, they stop being angry with each other and become friendly again.” (CIDI)
kiss-and-tell : “Said of a book, article, interview, etc. : revealing intimate secrets about former associates or famous people with whom the writer or interviewee has had a sexual relationship.” (PED)
knock-down-and-drag-out : “Marked by extreme violence or bitterness and by the showing of no mercy.” (MWOD)
lares and penates : “1. The household deities of the ancient Romans. The lares were believed to protect the household from danger, while the penates were believed to bring wealth. 2. A family’s treasured or valuable possessions.” (EWED)
law and order : “1. The strict enforcement of the law. 2. The stability created by the observance and enforcement of the law within a community.” (EWED)
life-and-death / life-or-death : “1. Involving or ending in life or death. 2. Vitally im-portant.” (AHD4)
light and shade : “Variety in the character of a person or the quality of a thing.” (CALD2)
live and breathe : “To be very enthusiastic (about a particular activity) and spend all the time you can doing it or talking about it.” (MEDAL)
live-and-die : “Prostrate or semi-erect subshrub of tropical America, and Australia; heavily armed with recurved thorns and having sensitive soft gray-green leaflets that fold and droop at night or when touched or cooled.” (WN2.1)
look-and-say : “A method of teaching people to read based on the recognition of whole words, rather than on the association of letters with sounds.” (OALD7)
lords-and-ladies : “A perennial European plant, with leaves shaped like arrowheads and flowering stems consisting of a yellowish green cone around a reddish purple spike that later carries poisonous scarlet berries. Latin name Arum maculatum.” (EWED)
lost and found : “A repository in a public place, as in a school or theater, where found items are kept for reclaiming by their owners.” (AHD4)
macaroni and cheese : “A hot dish of macaroni in a cheese sauce.” (OALD7)
make-or-break : “Likely to result in either complete success or complete failure.” (EWED)
man and wife : “Two people who are married to each other.” (WN2.1)
meat and potatoes : “The fundamental parts or part; the basis.” (AHD4)
meet and greet : “An occasion when people can meet each other.” (MEDAL)
meeter and greeter : “A person who works for a service that greets and assists travelers upon their arrival at the airport.” (WNMDE)
milk-and-water : “Weak or bland, especially in expression or sentiment.” (EWED)
mix and match : “To combine in a harmonious or interesting way, as articles of clothing in an ensemble.” (RHUD)
mom-and-pop : “1. Of or being a small business that is typically owned and run by members of a family. 2. Resembling or evocative of the small-scale, homelike, or informal atmosphere of such a business.” (AHD4)
mock and mow / mop and mow : “To jeer and grimace, to make faces.” (OEDO)
mover and shaker : “One who wields power and influence in a sphere of activity.” (AHD4)
name and shame : “To publicly expose a wrongdoer.” (WNMDE)
nickel-and-dime (A) : “1. Involving or paying only a small amount of money. 2. Minor; small-time.” (AHD4)
nickel-and-dime (V) : “1. To spend very little money. (AHD4) 2. To expose to financial hardship or bankruptcy by the accumulation of small expenses, bills, etc. 3. To hinder, annoy, or harass with trivialities or nonessentials.” (RHUD)
nip and tuck : “A cosmetic surgical operation.” (COEDCE2)
nits-and-lice : “A plant (Hypericum drummondii) of the central United States having narrow leaves and yellow flowers.” (AHD4)
noughts and crosses : “A game in which two players alternately put crosses and circles in one of the compartments of a 3-by-3 board; the object is to get a row of three crosses or three circles before the opponent does.” (WN2.1)
null and void : “Having no force, binding power, or validity.” (MWOD)
nut and bolt : “A fastener made by screwing a nut onto a threaded bolt.” (WN2.1)
nuts and bolts : “The most basic components, elements, or constituents of something.” (EWED)
odds and ends : “Miscellaneous items, remnants, or pieces.” (AHD4)
odds and sods : “Miscellaneous people or items.” (EWED)
old-man-and-woman / old-man-and-old-woman (RHUD) : “Any of various plants of the genus Sempervivum native to the Old World, especially S. tectorum, having a persistent basal rosette of fleshy leaves and a branching cluster of pinkish or purplish flowers.” (AHD4)
open-and-shut : “1. So obvious as to present no difficulties; easily settled or determined. 2. Alternating between sunshine and clouds; having variable skies.” (AHD4)
pan and scan : “A method of printing movies for presentation on television that modifies the rectangular theater image by trimming the sides and focusing on significant action within the newly truncated image.” (AHD4)
park-and-ride : “A transportation plan designed to reduce car use in city centers in which motorists drive to out-of-town parking lots from which buses or trains run regularly into the city.” (EWED)
pay and display : “A parking system in which motorists buy tickets from a machine to cover the amount of time that they intend to leave their vehicles in a parking lot. The tickets are then displayed in the windshields or one of the windows of the vehicles.” (EWED)
peace and quiet : “Tranquillity and freedom from disturbance.” (AHDI)
peaches-and-cream : “(Said of a complexion) Clear and pale, with pink cheeks.” (PED)
peel-and-stick : “Ready to be applied after peeling off the backing to expose an adhesive surface.” (RHUD)
pen-and-ink : “A drawing executed with pen and ink.” (WN2.1)
pick and choose : “To select with great care.” (AHD4)
pick’n’mix : “A wide range of items, especially candies, cheeses, or salads, from which you choose whatever combination you want.” (EWED)
pick-and-roll : “A basketball play in which a player sets a screen and then cuts toward the basket for a pass.” (MWOD)
pick-and-shovel : “Marked by drudgery; laborious.” (RHUD)
pins and needles : “A tingling sensation felt in a part of the body numbed from lack of circulation.” (AHD4)
pitch-and-putt : “1. A game similar to regulation golf, but played on a much shorter course, in which players use only two clubs, an iron and a putter. The distance to each hole is around one third of the length of the average golf hole. 2. A course for pitch-and-putt, with holes shorter than those for regulation golf.” (EWED)
pitch-and-toss : “A game in which players toss coins at a mark, the person whose coin hits closest to the mark tossing all the coins in the air and winning all those that come down heads up.” (RHUD)
plug-and-play : “Plug-and-play software or computer equipment is immediately ready for use when it is connected to a computer.” (MEDAL)
point-and-click : “Allowing the activation of commands by moving the cursor over certain areas or icons and clicking a pointing device.” (AHD4)
point-and-shoot : “Of, relating to, or being a camera that adjusts settings such as focus and exposure automatically.” (AHD4)
pomp and circumstance : “Splendid celebration with ceremony and fuss; also, the title of several military marches played at ceremonies, such as graduations.” (WNMDE)
postage and packing / shipping and handling : “A charge for the cost of having some-thing put into a container and then posted to you.” (CALD2)
pork and beans : “Dried beans cooked with pork and tomato sauce.” (WN2.1)
prim and proper : “Someone who is prim and proper behaves in a very formal and correct way and is easily shocked by anything rude.” (CIDI)
profit and loss (= profit and loss account) : “An account showing income and expendi-ture over a given period and indicating net profit or loss.” (EWED)
puff and pant / puff and blow : “To breathe quickly and loudly through your mouth after physical effort.” (OALD7)
pump and dump : “The financial fraud known as pump and dump involves artificially inflating the price of a stock or other security through promotion, in order to sell at the inflated price.” (WIKI)
quick-and-dirty : “Cheaply made or done; of inferior quality.” (AHD4)
R & R (= rest and recuperation) : “The withdrawal of individuals from combat or duty in a combat area for short periods of rest and recuperation.” (DODDICT 242 )
rack and pinion : “A device for the conversion of rotary and linear motion, consisting of a pinion and a mated rack.” (AHD4)
rack and ruin : “A state of destruction or extreme neglect.” (PED)
ragtag and bobtail : “The lowest social class; the rabble.” (AHD4)
rake and scrape : “Be extremely thrifty; scrimp and save.” (COD10)
rank and file : “1. The enlisted troops, excluding noncommissioned officers, in an army. 2. The people who form the major portion of a group, organization, or society, excluding the leaders and officers.” (AHD4)
rant and rave : “To show that you are angry by shouting or complaining loudly for a long time.” (OALD7)
ready and waiting : “Being and remaining ready and available for use.” (WN2.1)
research and development : “The work in a company of investigating improved processes, products, and services and of developing new one.” (EWED)
rhythm and blues : “A style of music developed by African Americans that combines blues and jazz, characterized by a strong backbeat and repeated variations on synco-pated instrumental phrases.” (AHD4)
rip-and-read : “The practice of reading news copy directly from the newswire service over a radio broadcast.” (EWED)
rise and shine : “Wake up and get out of bed promptly.” (COEDCE2)
rock ’n’ roll (N) : “A form of popular music arising from and incorporating a variety of musical styles, especially rhythm and blues, country music, and gospel. Originating in the United States in the 1950s, it is characterized by electronically amplified instrumentation, a heavily accented beat, and relatively simple phrase struc-ture.” (AHD4)
rock and roll / rock-’n’-roll (V) : “To dance to or play rock-’n’-roll.” (RHUD)
rock and rye : “A bottled drink made with rye whiskey, rock candy, and fruit.” (RHUD)
room and board : “Lodging and food usually furnished for a set price or as part of wages.” (MWOD)
room-and-pillar / pillar-and-breast : “Noting a means of extracting coal or other minerals from underground deposits by first cutting out rooms, then robbing the pillars between them.” (RHUD)
rough-and-ready : “1. Rough, rude, or crude, but good enough for the purpose. 2. Exhibiting or showing rough vigor rather than refinement or delicacy.” (RHUD)
rum and coke : “A cocktail consisting of rum and cola.” (WIKI)
run-and-gun : “1. A fast, aggressive style of basketball in which a team runs hard and shoots at the basket often. 2. A fast-moving, hard-charging offensive strategy or style.” (MWDA)
sackcloth and ashes : “A display of extreme remorse or repentance or grief.” (WN2.1)
sadder but wiser : “If someone is sadder but wiser after a bad experience, they have suffered but they have also learned something from it.” (CIDI)
safe and sound : “If you are safe and sound, you are not harmed in any way, although you were in a dangerous situation.” (CIDI)
sale and leaseback : “The sale of an asset that the vendor rents back from the buyer immediately after the sale, thereby raising cash and allowing a tax deduction.” (EWED)
salt-and-pepper / pepper-and-salt : “Having a fine mixture of black and white.” (AHD4)
savings and loan (= savings and loan association) : “A thrift institution that is required by law to make a certain percentage of its loans as home mortgages.” (WN2.1)
scissors-and-paste : “Crudely or hastily put together.” (EWED)
Scotch and soda : “A highball with Scotch malt whiskey and club soda.” (WN2.1)
scratch-and-sniff : “Designed to release a smell when scratched, especially as a complement to a visual experience.” (EWED)
scrimp and save : “To spend very little money, especially because you are saving it to buy something expensive. “ (CIDI)
search and rescue : “The process of looking for people who are lost and may need medical treatment, especially after an accident.” (MEDAL)
serve-and-volley : “In tennis, involving or relying on a powerful attacking service followed by a swift approach to the net to volley the opponent’s return.” (EWED)
sex and shopping : “A genre of popular fiction featuring wealthy and glamorous characters who typically engage in frequent sexual encounters and extravagant spending, especially on designer goods.” (OEDO)
shake and bake : “A quick impressive move against an opponent, especially in basket-ball.” (EWED)
shock and awe : “A military doctrine which advocates attempting to destroy an adversary’s will to fight through spectacular displays of power.” (WIKI)
short and sweet : “Dealt with very quickly; to the point.” (WN2.1)
show-and-tell : “1. An educational activity in which a child displays an object to the class and talks about it. 2. A public presentation or display.” (AHD4)
signed and sealed : “Definite, because all the legal documents have been signed.” (OALD7)
skull and crossbones : “A representation of a human skull above two long crossed bones, a symbol of death once used by pirates and now used as a warning label on poisons.” (AHD4)
slap and tickle : “Playful lovemaking.” (PED)
slash-and-burn : “1. Used to describe a form of agriculture characterized by the cutting down and burning of trees and vegetation in order to plant crops. 2. Having or showing the intention to deal with somebody or something drastically and ruthlessly or to destroy somebody or something completely.” (EWED)
slings and arrows : “Pointed, often acerbic, critical attacks.” (MWOD)
slow but sure : “Not quick but achieving the required result eventually.” (COEDCE2)
smash-and-grab : “Relating to a robbery committed by breaking a store window in order to steal the merchandise on display.” (EWED)
smoke and mirrors : “Something intended to disguise or draw attention away from an often embarrassing or unpleasant issue.” (MWOD)
snakes and ladders / chutes and ladders : “A children’s game played on a board in which you can move forwards and upwards along pictures of ladders or go downwards and backwards along pictures of snakes.” (LDOCE4)
song and dance : “1. A theatrical performance that combines singing and dancing. 2a. An excessively elaborate effort to explain or justify. 2b. An elaborate story or explanation intended to deceive or mislead.” (AHD4)
sound-and-light : “Combining sound effects or music with unusual lighting displays.” (RHUD)
soup-and-fish : “A man’s formal evening clothes.” (RHUD)
spit and polish : “Meticulous care in presenting a neat appearance, especially in the armed forces.” (EWED)
spit-and-sawdust : “(Of a pub) That appears dirty or run-down. (COEDCE2)
splash-and-go : “In motor racing, a very short pit stop for fuel only.” (EWED)
Stars and Bars : “The first flag of the Confederacy during the Civil War, which had two red stripes and one white, and a circle of white stars representing the seceded states.” (EWED)
Stars and Stripes : “The flag of the United States having 13 alternately red and white horizontal stripes and a blue union with white stars representing the states.” (MWOD)
stop-and-go : “Characterized by periodically enforced stops, as caused by heavy traffic or traffic signals.” (RHUD)
stuff and nonsense : “Senseless talk.” (WN2.1)
sum and substance : “Main idea, gist, or point.” (RHUD)
supply and demand : “The relationship between the availability of a good or service and the need or desire for it among consumers.” (EWED)
surf and turf : “A meal, menu, or dish including both seafood and meat, especially steak and lobster.” (EWED)
sweet-and-sour : “Cooked with both sugar and a sour substance, as vinegar or lemon.” (COEDCE2)
sweetness and light : “1. Extreme or excessive pleasantness or amiability. 2. Decorous charm combined with intelligence.” (RHUD)
tar and feather : “To smear (a person) with tar and cover with feathers as a punishment or indignity.” (MWOD)
thrills and spills : “The excitement that is involved in dangerous activities, especially sports.” (OALD7)
tip-and-run : “Striking quickly then withdrawing immediately.” (EWED)
to-and-fro : “1. Movement back and forth; reciprocating movement. 2. Debate over an issue; vacillation.” (AHD4)
Tom and Jerry : “A hot drink consisting of rum or another liquor, a beaten egg, milk or water, sugar, and spices.” (AHD4)
tongue and groove (= tongue-and-groove joint) : “A joint made by fitting a tongue on the edge of a board into a matching groove on another board.” (AHD4)
top and tail : “1. To remove the less edible ends of a fruit or vegetable, for example, a green bean or black currant. 2. To inspect the first and last few lines of page proofs to ensure that the pages are breaking correctly. 3. To put two people, especially chil-dren, to sleep in the same bed with their heads at opposite ends of it. 4. To wash a baby’s face and diaper areas instead of giving it a full bath.” (EWED)
toss and turn : “To keep changing your position in bed because you cannot sleep.” (LDOCE4)
touch-and-go : “1. Risky; precarious. 2. Hasty, sketchy, or desultory.” (RHUD)
track and field (= track and field athletics) : “Athletic events performed on a running track and the field associated with it.” (AHD4)
trial and error : “A method of finding a satisfactory solution or means of doing something by experimenting with alternatives and eliminating failures.” (EWED)
trials and tribulations : “The difficulties and problems involved in something.” (MEDAL)
trick-or-treat : “To engage in the practice of asking for treats on Halloween and threatening to play tricks on those who refuse.” (AHD4)
tried-and-true : “Proved through experience or extensive testing to be good, effective, or reliable.” (AHD4)
up and about / up and around : “Recovered from an illness; able to leave one’s bed.” (RHUD)
up-and-coming : “Likely to develop, become successful, or become popular soon.” (MEDAL)
up-and-down : “1. Moving alternately up and down. 2. Having an uneven surface. 3. Changeable. 4. Perpendicular or nearly so.” (RHUD)
up-and-over : “(Of a door) Opened by being raised and pushed back into a horizontal position. (COEDCE2)
up-and-under : “A rugby kick that sends the ball high into the air for the kicker and teammates to rush forward and gather as it lands.” (EWED)
ups and downs : “Alternating periods of good and bad fortune or spirits.” (AHD4)
up-or-out : “Of or pertaining to a system or policy of employment in which one is either promoted or discharged.” (RHUD)
vim and vigor : “Ebullient vitality and energy.” (AHDI)
waifs and strays : “People or animals who have no home and no one to care for them.” (CIDI)
warp and woof : “The foundation or base of something.” (EWED)
wash-and-wear : “Treated so as to be easily or quickly washed or rinsed clean and to require little or no ironing. Used of clothes and linen.” (AHD4)
wattle and daub : “A building material consisting of interwoven rods and laths or twigs plastered with mud or clay, used especially in the construction of simple dwellings or as an infill between members of a timber-framed wall.” (AHD4)
wax and wane : “Increase and decrease, as in size, number, strength, or intensity.” (AHDI)
ways and means : “1. Methods and resources for accomplishing something, especially for paying expenses. 2. Methods and resources for raising revenue for the use of government.” (PED)
wear and tear : “Damage or deterioration resulting from ordinary use; normal depre-ciation.” (RHUD)
wheel and axle : “A mechanical device consisting of a grooved wheel turned by a cord or chain with a rigidly attached axle (as for winding up a weight) together with the supporting standards.” (MWOD)
wheel and deal : “Engage in commercial or political scheming.” (COEDCE2)
white tie and tails : “Formalwear consisting of full evening dress for men.” (WN2.1)
whys and wherefores : “All the underlying causes and reasons.” (AHDI)
wild-and-woolly : “Unrestrained; lawless.” (RHUD)
wine and dine : “1. Eat sumptuously. 2. Provide with food and drink, usually lavishly.” (WN2.1)
youth-and-old-age : “A stiff-growing, erect composite plant, Zinnia elegans, of Mexico, having large, solitary flowers with yellow-to-purple disks and usually red rays.” (RHUD)
MBS = Macquarie Book of Slang.
DODDICT = Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms.