domingo, 21 de abril de 2019

Siamese twins in English Phraseology


Image result for spic and span

Using two words when one will do, or employing a long phrase when one word will sufice, is peculiar to all languages. And H.W. Fowler called "siamese twins" those words which linked in pairs by "and" and "or" convey one single meaning. For example:
--heart and soul (the essence)
--leaps and bounds (rapidly, fast)
--lo and behold (exclamation of surprise)
--fair and square (honestly, fairly)
--odds and ends (miscellaneous articles)
--spic and span (very clean)
--part and parcel (essential part, the whole thing)
and Fowler tells us we should be on our guard when writing.
In Spanish we have
--a trancas y barrancas, terminaron la casa a trancas y barrancas
--ir y venir, el ir y venir de la gente me daba dolor de cabeza
--dar y regalar, tiene libros para dar y regalar
--alto y claro, se lo repetí alto y claro
--muerto y enterrado, el asesino ya está muerto y enterrado

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