Timeless & Timely

Timeless & Timely

Share this post

Timeless & Timely
Timeless & Timely
Irreversible Binomials
πŸ•– Off the Clock

Irreversible Binomials

These phrases are alive and well

Scott Monty's avatar
Scott Monty
Jul 26, 2025
βˆ™ Paid
8

Share this post

Timeless & Timely
Timeless & Timely
Irreversible Binomials
1
1
Share

Welcome to β€œOff the Clock,” a little something that lands somewhere between Timeless & Timely.

I send out this fun look at language and words every other Saturday as bonus content. If someone sent this to you, please consider subscribing. The good news? It won’t cost you an arm and a leg.

Broadway and Trinity Church by J.W. Hill, 1830 (public domain - NYPL Digital Collection)

There are certain two-word phrases we hear frequently that we’re used to hearing or reading in a certain order. These are called irreversible binomials.

These are phrases in which the words must appear in a particular order.

They become such a part of the vocabulary that it would seem odd to see or hear them in the opposite order. They go together like carrots and peas. Wait β€” that isn’t right, is it?

The term β€œirreversible binomial” was introduced by etymologist and philologist Yakov Malkiel in 1954. But the phenomenon had been discussed since at least 1903 under different names: a β€œterminological imbroglio.”1

In a previous edition of Off the Clock, I wrote About Ablauts, or the required order of similar sounding words from the same root. Like ping pong or flip flops. That was based on vowel order.


About Ablauts

About Ablauts

Scott Monty
Β·
May 11, 2024
Read full story

There is so such hard and fast rule with irreversible binomials; we simply say or write them in a particular order because that’s how they’ve become familiar phrases.

 

Psst. Hey, if you refer others here, you can earn free access to the & Guildβ€”our members-only tier:

Refer a friend


 

Let’s explore some irreversible binomials and the reasons they exist. Maybe you can suggest more.

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to Timeless & Timely to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
Β© 2025 Timeless Leadership, LLC
Privacy βˆ™ Terms βˆ™ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share