Word pairs

Why we say "black and white"—and never the other way around

Image: Matteo Di Iorio

Ever wondered why we say "black and white" instead of "white and black"? Some word pairs have a fixed order due to rhythm, history, or phonetics. Though not all common word pairings have a fixed order, many do, and in most cases, this order is irreversible—at least without making it sound weird! From "salt and pepper" to "thunder and lightning," here’s why some words always take the lead.

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"Black and white" follows a common pattern where darker colors come before lighter ones. This phrase dates back to the 14th century, referring to ink on paper. It also follows the natural English preference for short, strong sounds first.

Image: Phillip Flores

Salt grains are smaller than peppercorns, and in English, we tend to list things from small to large. The phrase likely became standard because salt, being essential for survival, was more familiar and historically more valuable.

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Bread is the base, and butter is the topping. This reflects the natural sequence of how we prepare and consume food. The phrase has also become synonymous with livelihood, reinforcing its established order in speech.

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Even though lightning comes first in nature—and we see it before we hear thunder—the phrase "thunder and lightning" feels more intuitive, likely because English tends to favor short, strong sounds first.

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"Give" represents an outward action, while "take" is a response. Many word pairs follow this active-passive pattern, emphasizing initiative first. The phrase has been used metaphorically since the 1700s to describe balanced exchanges.

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The human experience begins with daylight, making "day and night" the intuitive sequence. This ordering appears in multiple languages, reinforcing that our perception of time influences linguistic patterns.

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This phrase follows the standard English structure of presenting the problem before the solution. "Lost" sets the stage, while "found" is the resolution, making it easier for listeners to process.

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"Odds" has a shorter, punchier sound than "ends," following the linguistic preference for short-first phrasing. The phrase has been in use since the 18th century to describe miscellaneous, leftover items.

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This order dates back to chivalric traditions, where ladies were introduced first out of courtesy. The phrasing became a formal standard in speeches and announcements, reinforcing its place in common usage.

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"Rock" has a sharper, percussive sound than "roll," making it more suitable as the lead. The phrase originated from African American slang in the early 20th century before defining a genre.

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The phrase follows a natural scale from an increase to a decrease. English often favors sequences that rise before they fall, making "more or less" the preferred order.

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People react more strongly to heat than cold, so "hot" comes first. The phrase aligns with the body's instinctive sensitivity, which prioritizes heat as a survival concern.

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"Sick" implies a physical state, while "tired" suggests exhaustion. English often places more urgent conditions before milder ones, cementing this order.

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"This" refers to something immediate, while "that" points to something further away. English naturally prioritizes what is closer to the speaker in sequence.

ELEVATE YOUR VOCABULARY

These 10 Unusual Words in English Are Simply Frabjous!

Image: Andrew Neel

The English language is considered one of the easiest to learn. That doesn’t mean it is not rich or hasn’t enough words to describe the complexities of the modern world in depth. However, people don’t often make the most of the vast vocabulary our language has to offer. It’s time to start using words like "frabjous," or "abstruse!" That is why we have put together a list of 10 words that are not so commonly used but will surely help elevate your speech! Are you ready? Let’s go!

Image: Leo Rivas

Have you ever experienced something that is both fabulous and joyous at the same time? You probably feel that the words you have to describe such situations are never enough. You need a more powerful word, like "frabjous."

Many words have been created in literary works. Frabjous, an adjective, is one of them. Lewis Carrol first coined it in Through the Looking Glass to describe something wonderful and superb in an informal way. Frabjous, isn't it?

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Being a friend or being friendly are not the same thing, those two letters at the end are charged with meaning. In the case of the latter, there’s a verb you can use.

The word "hobnob" comes from Middle English and its meaning has changed and evolved. Today, "hobnob" means to associate with people in a very friendly way, for example: "She always hobnobs with celebrities."

Curious enough, it also has an archaic meaning: drinking together. It makes sense, isn’t that how most friendly relationships begin?

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The early bird catches the worm, that’s how the saying goes. Well, maybe you don’t get a worm, but you could get some elevenses.

This word was first recorded in the 1840s, and it has always been used in its plural form to refer to a midmorning refreshment.

Now, can you imagine how it was formed? That’s right, it is a pluralized form of "eleven," meaning the time when these refreshments are usually taken, at eleven o’clock.

Image: Joshua Rawson-Harris

The modern world is getting more and more complex and the reasons to laugh and smile are harder to find- at least for the agelasts. Are you one of them?

An agelast, you might get from context, is a person who never laughs. The term comes from the Greek word agélastos which means grave or gloomy. This makes sense since being around people who never laugh can feel like it lasts an age, don’t you think?

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Time is our most precious possession and it is, at the same time, so easily wasted! Thankfully, we have many words to describe procrastination, and "lollygag" is one of them.

This word is a slang word from the 19th century and it has an alternative spelling which is "lallygag." The verb describes the action of wasting time.

As is often the case with many words, it used to have a second meaning related to affection display, but that fell out of use and now only the original meaning remains.

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This word may sound like "poetic," hence from the heart or romantic. But it is actually quite the opposite. Noetic derives from a Greek adjective that means "intellectual." In this sense, this adjective today describes things related to, or based on the intellect.

You might be familiar with it because in California there is the Institute of Noetic Sciences which is devoted to the study of, you guessed it, the mind!

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Have you ever been in a position in which you had to choose between two options, going back and forth from one option to another, analyzing the pros and cons, and feeling the decision was impossible to make? You were oscillating between the options then.

This word comes from the Latin oscillatus which means to swing, like a pendulum, or to come and go between two points, usually opposites. It is quite unfair how unusual this word is considering how common that scenario is, don’t you think?

Image: Vadim Bogulov

Trying to elevate one’s language takes great effort, after all, some words are too difficult to understand or comprehend, they are simply too abstruse. Here’s the explanation: the word "abstruse" describes things that are difficult to understand.

It derives from the Latin verb trudere which means "to push away." This Latin verb gave rise to many English words that include this meaning, but the "thrust" meaning in "abstruse" has fallen out of use and only one remains. See? It means hard to comprehend, but it isn’t so!

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If you know a person who is always criticizing and judging, someone who has an opinion on everything, you’ve met an ultracrepidarian, a word coming from Latin, and first recorded in the early 1800s.

This word describes a person who judges and gives advice or opinions outside the area of expertise. Specific as it is in meaning, it is quite versatile since it can be both an adjective, like in "an ultracrepidarian boss," and a noun, for example: "I know many ultracrepidarians."

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After great pain, there is always something that helps us overcome it, and that something has a name: dolorifuge. This term refers to an activity or thing that helps you boost your spirits.

Dolorifuges take all kinds of shapes and it depends, of course, on what you like or what brings happiness to your life.

Similar to the first word on this list, it was coined by a writer. In this case, the word was created by the English novelist Thomas Hardy, in Tess of the d’Urbervilles. Have you heard this word before?