Pairs #60

there and back. Taking the distances or travel time to the end point and back to the beginning together as a single sum.

on the up and up. Honest and respectable.

roll over and play dead. To submit, acquiesce, or comply (to or with something) without any action, resistance, or protest. An allusion to a particular behavior in which certain animals feign death as a defense mechanism when faced with the threat of a predator.

one and only. 1. A phrase used when introducing someone to emphasize that they are famous and uniquely talented. 2. One's only true love.

what's yours is mine, and what's mine is mine. A (usually) humorous way of saying, "Everything belongs to me."

out of all scotch and notch. Immeasurable; limitless. "Scotches" and "notches" are boundaries drawn in the game of hopscotch.

alarms and excursions. Frantic activity that causes a clamor. Often seen in Elizabethan drama as a stage direction denoting military activity.

tell the truth and shame the devil. (proverb) To tell the truth even though one has strong reasons for concealing it.

all oak and iron bound. In good health.

curl up and die. Used hyperbolically or humorously to emphasize one's extreme embarrassment.

make fish of one and fowl of the other. To favor one person or thing over another, often in a discriminatory fashion. The phrase refers to the now-outdated practice of categorizing meat as fish, flesh, or fowl.

free and clear. Without having a competing claim against it, as from a financial institution.

trouble and strife. (Cockney rhyming slang) Wife.

sit back and let (it) happen. To allow something to happen or unfold without interfering or taking part an active part in it.

neck and neck. Extremely close together; at or near an equal level. Usually said of competitors in a race or competition.

ten foot tall and bulletproof. Imposing, unstoppable, and invincible.

ask a stupid question and you get a stupid answer. If one asks a strange or nonsensical question, the listener will probably respond with a similarly strange or nonsensical answer.

kiss and cry area. An area in an ice skating rink where figure skaters rest while awaiting their results after a competitive performance. So named because competitors typically celebrate or commiserate (depending on their performance) with coaches, friends, or family in this location.

life is short and time is swift. (proverb) Our time in this life is very limited, so we should strive to enjoy it as much as we can.

prunes and prisms. Intentionally formal or prudish speech or action. The phrase originated in Charles Dickens' novel Little Dorrit as an example of proper speech.

break down and cry. To cry after losing control of one's emotions, especially after trying not to or after an intense buildup.

swings and roundabouts. (primarily UK) A situation in which certain gains, advantages, or other positive aspects or outcomes are offset or balanced by equally disadvantageous losses, setbacks, or negative outcomes (or vice versa).

board and lodging. Meals and accommodation, or the cost thereof.

honest and aboveboard. Fully visible to public scrutiny; completely and openly honest or legitimate.