Legal binomials are fixed formulas: null and void is invalid, cease and desist is stop at once, in force and effect is still active.
Legal binomials
Not "The contract was declared void and null." — say "The contract was declared null and void.". The order is fixed: null and void, not the reverse.
Try it: Liam: A lawyer wants a company to stop using a trademark immediately. Yasmin: Then the lawyer sends a ______ letter. Choose the words for the blank. (cease and desist / stop and cease / safe and sound) Answer: cease and desist — Cease and desist is the fixed legal pair for a formal order to stop at once.
Word
Pronunciation
Example
null and void
/nʌl ənd vɔɪd/
Because the signature was forged, the agreement was declared null and void.
cease and desist
/sis ənd dɪˈzɪst/
The company received a cease and desist letter after using the logo without permission.
in force and effect
/ɪn fɔrs ənd ɪˈfɛkt/
The terms remain in force and effect until replaced by a written agreement.
Formal emphatic binomials
Part and parcel means essential, safe and sound means unharmed after a risk, and sole and exclusive means only one party's, in contract drafting.
Not "Late nights are parcel and part of newsroom life." — say "Late nights are part and parcel of newsroom life.". The order is fixed, and the phrase takes of + noun.
Try it: Liam: Is editing really that central to your work? Yasmin: ___ Choose the best reply. (Careful editing is part and parcel of the job. / Careful editing is null and void of the job. / Careful editing is safe and sound of the job.) Answer: Careful editing is part and parcel of the job. — Part and parcel of is the fixed phrase for something essential and unavoidable.
Word
Pronunciation
Example
part and parcel
/pɑrt ənd ˈpɑrsəl/
Handling complaints is part and parcel of running a public service.
safe and sound
/seɪf ənd saʊnd/
Travel delays were frustrating, but the children arrived safe and sound.
sole and exclusive
/soʊl ənd ɪkˈsklusɪv/
The distributor received sole and exclusive rights to sell the product in the region.
Everyday and commercial binomials
Pros and cons, trial and error, wear and tear and cut and dried are everyday pairs, while by and between appears only in contracts.
Try it: Liam: The tenancy agreement excludes the scuffed floors and faded paint. Yasmin: Right, that exclusion covers ______. Choose the words for the blank. (wear and tear / trial and error / cut and dried) Answer: wear and tear — Scuffs and fading from ordinary use are wear and tear, which leases carve out.
Try it: Liam: Everyone assumed the board would approve it in minutes. Yasmin: But the cost estimates contradicted each other, so the final decision was far from ______. Choose the words for the blank. (cut and dried / null and void / part and parcel) Answer: cut and dried — Contradictory figures mean the question was not settled, so it was not cut and dried.
Try it: Liam: Do the club rules still apply during the review? Yasmin: They do, and they stay ______ until the review ends. Choose the words for the blank. (in force and effect / cut and dried / wear and tear) Answer: in force and effect — In force and effect means currently valid and legally applying.
Word
Pronunciation
Example
pros and cons
/proʊz ənd kɑnz/
We weighed the pros and cons before committing to the longer contract.
trial and error
/ˈtraɪəl ənd ˈɛrər/
She learned the software by trial and error rather than from a manual.
wear and tear
/wɛr ənd tɛr/
The lease covers structural repairs but not ordinary wear and tear.
cut and dried
/kʌt ənd draɪd/
The committee expected a quick vote, but the evidence was not cut and dried.
by and between
/baɪ ənd bɪˈtwin/
This agreement is made by and between Haffenville Media and its distributor.
What are the common mistakes?
Incorrect
Correct
Why
The contract was declared void and null.
The contract was declared null and void.
The order is fixed: null and void, not the reverse.
Late nights are parcel and part of newsroom life.
Late nights are part and parcel of newsroom life.
The order is fixed, and the phrase takes of + noun.