Binomial pairs

En inglés, existen unas expresiones llamadas “expresiones binomiales” (binomial pairs en inglés) en el que se caracterizan por estar formadas por dos palabras y unidas por una conjunción

Normalmente, las expresiones están prefijadas, por ejemplo, la frase “rock and roll” no podría decirse al revés, es decir, “roll and rock”. 

A continuación veremos los “binomial pairs” más utilizados en la lengua inglesa e incluso hay algunas de ellas que significan literalmente lo mismo en español.

• Binomials pairs usando la conjunción “and”:

– Neat and tidy – Limpio y ordenado, impecable, de punta en blanco.

·       She needs to believe that everything is neat and tidy.

·       It is our duty to keep our school neat and tidy.

– Sick and tired – Hasta el gorro (o coronilla), harto, más que harto, hasta las narices.

·       I’m sick and tired of your passive-aggressive attitude towards me.

·       I am sick and tired of hearing about your misfortune.

– Short and sweet – Bueno y breve (o si es breve, dos veces bueno)

·       I know you’re all probably tired, and so I’ll make this short and sweet.

·       Since you’ve been here many times, I’m gonna make it short and sweet.

- Wine and dine – Comer en un buen restaurante. También significa impresionar llevando a alguien importante a un buen restaurante. Agasajar.

·       If you’re serious about Karen, you should wine and dine her.

·       Maybe he brought her here to wine and dine her and then asked her to marry him.

– Up and down – Altibajos

·       Life had its up and downs.

·       The economy fluctuates up and down in a way they can’t predict.

– Odds and ends – Este idiom tiene varios significados:

Puede ser chismes, cosas que guardas en un cajón. Cachivaches.

·       There were lots of odds and ends in the attic, but nothing of real value.

Comida que ha sobrado.

·       I´ve got some odds and ends left over. We could make something with them.

Y una sección del periódico que se podría traducir como noticias varias,miscelánea o variedades.

·       Odds and ends books are my favorite.

– Skin and bone – Estar en los huesos, esquelético

·       Soon she’ll be skin and bone.

·       Look at how thin you’ve got; you’re all skin and bones!

- Loud and clear – Alto y claro

·       I hear you loud and clear, my dear.

·       His words were loud and clear.

– Back and forth – De aquí para allá, ir de un lado a otro. Dar vueltas. Un tira y afloja

·       He rides back and forth all day long.

·       The disciple walks back and forth across the water.

– By and large – En lineas generales, por lo general.

·       Your report shows that, by and large, we agree

·       The problem might be due, by and large, to cultural factors.

– Far and wide – A lo largo y ancho. Por todos los rincones. Largo y tendido.

·       Rumours of your beauty have travelled far and wide.

·       She is a woman known far and wide for her sweet-potato pies.

– Pros and cons – Pros y contras.

·       Listen, there are pros and cons to be the best in this area.

·       The pros and cons of these proposals will need to be examined carefully.

– Part and parcel – Parte esencial, parte fundamental

·       Disability issues are part and parcel of all policy areas.

·       Child protection is part and parcel of our culture and tradition.

– Safe and sound – Sano y salvo

·       I want you to return home safe and sound.

·       The next morning, the two children were found, safe and sound.

– Live and learn – Vivir y aprender, vivir para ver, todos los días se aprende algo nuevo. 

·       I live and I learn and I am pleased to be that old dog who can occasionally manage to master a new trick.

·       Live and learn from fools and from sages

– Hustle and bustle – Ajetreo,vaivén, bullicio

·       We like to get away from the hustle and bustle.

·       I dislike the hustle and bustle of the big city.

– Wear and tear – Uso y desgaste, desgaste natural.

·       The wear and tear of their long journey is now showing.

·       The vehicle shows signs of excessive wear and tear.

• Binomials pairs usando la conjunción “or”:

– Make or break – Decisivo, determinante. Hacerlo ahora o nunca. 

      How you handle this first crisis will make or break the rest of your relationship.

·       He has enough power to make or break this nation.

– Take it or leave it – O lo tomas o lo dejas, esto es lo que hay, Si te gusta bien, y si no también.

·       Stop moaning, take it or leave it, but shut your mouth, please.

·       Twelve hundred bucks, take it or leave it, that’s all.

– Sooner or later – Tarde o temprano, antes o después

·       Sooner or later, you’re going to have to trust yourself.

·       Look. Sooner or later, everybody in this place stops caring about hopeless.

– More or less – Más o menos.

·       The car is more or less intact.

·       His wife said more or less the same.

•  Otro tipo de binomial pairs:

– Back to front – Al revés. Lo cambia todo.

·       You’ve got your pants on back to front.

·       We must not do things back to front.

– Step by step – Paso a paso (pasito a pasito), poco a poco.

·       Please read the instructions carefully and follow them step by step.

·       We must reinforce our diplomatic options step by step.

– Willy-nilly – De cualquier manera, de cualquier forma, guste o no guste, te guste o no, a tontas y locas, sin comerlo ni beberlo.

·       I can’t just prescribe drugs willy-nilly.

·       I do a lot of research about every topic and I take a strong position on, so don’t think I’m just throwing things out there willy-nilly.

                           

                                                                                    Source: eingleses.