# Word pairs that describe something in both orders. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 20, 2014, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043 "2014-09-20T20:46:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/21 "2014-09-20T23:18:24Z")
Overhang and hangover. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/22 "2014-09-20T23:21:23Z")
Engine fire. Fire engine. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/23 "2014-09-20T23:23:27Z")
Tool box and [box tool.](http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?c=&p=32016&cat=1,43456,43407&ap=1) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/24 "2014-09-20T23:26:24Z")
Travel time and time travel? Chili bean and bean chili? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/25 "2014-09-20T23:32:28Z")
Black boot and boot black. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/26 "2014-09-20T23:33:59Z")
Apple Macintosh, and a McIntosh apple. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/27 "2014-09-20T23:38:00Z")
Tennis professional and professional tennis? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/28 "2014-09-20T23:40:10Z")
House fire and fire house. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/29 "2014-09-20T23:43:48Z")
Yellow canary and canary yellow. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/30 "2014-09-20T23:48:26Z")
blue sky & sky blue ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/31 "2014-09-20T23:50:26Z")
Y’know, cane sugar comes from sugar cane. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/32 "2014-09-20T23:59:57Z")
race horse and horse race cart horse and horse cart green olive and olive green dog tired and tired dog ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/33 "2014-09-21T00:04:34Z")
Motor boat and boat motor. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/34 "2014-09-21T00:37:02Z")
Car company and company car. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/35 "2014-09-21T01:01:28Z")
Alexander Pope and Pope Alexander. ---
**Author:** ![enomaj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@enomaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enomaj)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/36 "2014-09-21T01:08:13Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Alexander Pope and Pope Alexander. Now you’re just showing off. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/37 "2014-09-21T01:14:23Z")
> [@enomaj](#): > > Now you’re just showing off. Something tells me this would be a bad time to mention Snow White. How about armor plate and plate armor? Or a finger ring on a ring finger? ---
**Author:** ![Amberlei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@Amberlei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amberlei)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/38 "2014-09-21T01:37:19Z")
I was going to the **post office** to mail the **office post** but on the way there, I saw a \*\*show horse **that had escaped from the \*\* horse show**. While a **closed gate** would have prevented the horse from escaping, someone had forgotten to fasten the **gate closed**. A man wearing one **leather boot** was chasing the horse, shouting that he’d turn it into **boot leather** when he caught it. He chased the horse through the track where the local **car race** is held and only narrowly escaped being hit by a **race car**. Fortunately, upon exiting the race track, the horse returned to the road. A man wearing a \*\*light red \*\* shirt was stopped at a **red light** and got out of his car and managed to catch the horse. The guy with the leather boot ran up to them and threw his arms around the man, giving him a huge **bear hug**. The guy then said, “Thank you so much for catching my horse, Bear! I was so worried he’d be hurt. I’m going to **hug Bear** every chance I get and never, ever let him get loose again.” So, no, I didn’t get the **mail sent** or the **sent mail** , and yes, I have much too much time on my hands. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/39 "2014-09-21T03:56:15Z")
“laptop” and “top lap” ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/40 "2014-09-21T03:59:59Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > Overhang and hangover. Cheating off this one: overlay and layover [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043.md?page=3)