Pairs #9

Gin and bitters. A gin cocktail that contains bitters (neutral alcohol infused with botanical matter, e.g., spices, herbs, fruits and roots).

Make do and mend. (Britain) A philosophy, during World War II, of repairing clothes etc. (due to shortages and rationing) that would normally be discarded.

Fast & Furious. A US media franchise centered on a series of action films.

Salt and pepper. The edible salt and ground black pepper found in shakers on many tables in the West and used for seasoning food.

Zeroes and ones. A reference to the characters used in binary code, which is the foundational language of all computers.

Latest and greatest. An expression of enthusiasm to describe new people, ideas, innovations or objects. Or, a reference to a product or service that is of the most recent vintage, is the trendiest on the market, or that has the most robust set of features.

Bait and tackle. In the US, a bait and tackle shop sells bait, equipment and supplies for fishing.

Dive and drive. A nickname describing the method used to land an airplane when doing so with the aid of precision instruments is not possible.

Ups and downs. (idiomatic) Periods of positive and negative events, moods, or interactions.

Eyes and ears. 1. (idiomatic) To be all eyes and ears is to be paying close attention. 2. (idiomatic) To be someone’s eyes and ears is to be tasked with gathering information or keeping watch over something and then reporting observations back.

Divide and conquer. Originally, a political and sociological reference to the gain and maintenance of imperial territory by pitting territories against one another so they would not unite against the ruler. (Used today as a management strategy in some corporate settings.) (idiomatic) A reference to distributing a group’s work such that multiple tasks are being addressed simultaneously, thus shortening the timeline for completion.

Paper and pencil. A type of game that can be played without elaborate equipment, e.g., tic-tac-toe (noughts and crosses in the UK) or hangman.

Ham and eggs. A food pairing, usually served at breakfast, and once a staple of the American breakfast.

Above and beyond. To go above and beyond is to do more than is expected or required.

Rape and pillage. An archaic term referring to wartime activities of the abduction of conquered peoples and the looting of conquered territory.

Name and shame. To publicly say that a person, group or business has done something wrong.

Off and away. Not home; not here.

Cash and carry. A system of wholesale trading whereby goods are paid for in full at the time of purchase and taken away by the purchaser.

King and queen. A married couple jointly ruling a monarchy, or a king married to a queen consort. May also refer to a pair of chess pieces.

Yin and yang. A concept that originated in Chinese philosophy, describing opposite but interconnected, mutually perpetuating forces.

Warp and weft. The two basic components used in weaving to turn thread or yarn into fabric.

Tea and crumpets. A food pairing enjoyed in the UK, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia. A crumpet is a small griddle bread made from an unsweetened batter of water or milk, flour, and yeast — typically toasted and spread with butter.

Balls and strikes. Calls made by the umpire in a baseball game.

Alas and alack. A phrase used to express regret or sadness, sometimes sarcastically.