Use Free-Talk Lessons to Share These Funny English Word Pairs
English has plenty of expressions that cannot be understood just from looking at the words, which can be frustrating for language students.
However, some of these expressions have a strange pattern of words that sound similar or perhaps even rhyme. While these can be just as confusing for students, they stand out in a unique way and are therefore easier to remember.
Even though they often sound silly, these word pairs are quite common in daily communication and often in formal ones as well. That means they are important for learners to know. If you're at a loss for how to spend a free-talk lesson, why not introduce these to your students?
Wishy-washy
“Wash” makes us think of water. Although a large amount of water can be strong and heavy, small amounts are thin and quite weak.
This feeling of weakness is the nuance in "wishy-washy." It is used to refer to someone or something that lacks boldness, strength or determination.
Kate can never seem to make a decision about her career. If she wants to be successful, she needs to stop being so wishy-washy.
I've been wishy-washy with my language study until now, but this year I've decided to take it more seriously.
Nitty-gritty
“Nitty-gritty” can be either a noun or an adjective, depending on the context. In either case, it refers to the most fundamental and important aspects of a situation.
“Grit” is a small piece of something like sand or stone, and it is often what remains when heavy objects have been moved. In this sense, “nitty-gritty” can refer to the foundation or the basics of something.
As a noun, it’s often used together with “get down to.”
We don’t have time to waste, so let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of the problem.
We hired a consultant to help us deal with the nitty-gritty of starting a business.
Dilly-dally
This expression is a verb, and it means to waste time by doing unimportant things. It comes from the verb "dally," which means to act or move slowly.
We can't afford to dilly-dally with the deadline so close.
He's so lazy; all he does is dilly-dally and watch YouTube all day.
Willy-nilly
This rhyming expression is an adverb. It has a negative nuance and refers to doing something in a way that is not focused or controlled.
Instead of reaching customers willy-nilly, we need to develop a clear marketing strategy.
I don't like to share personal information online willy-nilly.
Willy-nilly also has an additional meaning, which is to do something because you have no choice.
They were forced willy-nilly to accept the terms of the agreement.
Flip-flop
Students may already know about one kind of flip-flop — the very light and inexpensive sandals people often wear to the beach. The “flip-flop” we're covering here, however, is much different.
Actually, it's simply a verb that expresses the same idea as wishy-washy (which is an adjective).
“Flip-flopping” is deciding on one choice, then changing your mind and deciding on another, sometimes several times in a row.
Stop flip-flopping and make a decision; are you coming to the event or not?
The politician was accused of flip-flopping on major issues.
Shilly-shally
This has the same meaning and basic use as flip-flop. It comes from the old expression “shill I, shall I,” which is another way of saying, “will I or won’t I?”
We wasted so much time shilly-shallying that the tickets were sold out by the time we decided to go.
The woman ordering her meal shilly-shallied without noticing the line of annoyed customers behind her.
Teeter-totter
"Teeter-totter" is another name for a see-saw, a long board supported in the middle with a seat on either side. This allows two children to take turns moving up and down.
Used figuratively, it can refer to feelings or factors that change over time.
Investors were stressed by the stock prices that teeter-tottered all week.
Many of the celebrity’s fans teeter-tottered on whether or not to support her through the scandal.
Hem and haw
This expression is used very similarly to dilly-dally, and refers to delaying important actions or decisions.
Lots of other people are interested in buying the house, so we don’t have time to hem and haw if we want to buy it ourselves.
Noah is not the kind of person who hems and haws; he can make bold decisions very quickly.
Wrap-up
Students are unlikely to find any of the terms introduced here in a textbook or learn them in a standard English lesson at school. However, that is exactly why using them skillfully can help them sound much more advanced and natural than other learners.
Since most of these word pairs will be completely new to students, take advantage of their uniqueness the next time you're booked for a free conversation.
