# Word pairs that describe something in both orders.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043>\
**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:** 3

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**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/41 "2014-09-21T04:23:37Z")

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Sweat glands and glands sweat.

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**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/42 "2014-09-21T04:43:06Z")

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Punch out and out punch  
Town square and square town, man.

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**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, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/43 "2014-09-21T05:50:42Z")

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Are top lap and out punch actual things?

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**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/44 "2014-09-21T10:19:19Z")

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mine land and land mine

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**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, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/45 "2014-09-21T10:39:06Z")

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You don’t need a duck blind if you’re hunting a blind duck, but you do need a movie cowboy if you’re making a cowboy movie.

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**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/46 "2014-09-21T13:17:45Z")

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Moved Cafe Society --\> MPSIMS

turnover overturn

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**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/47 "2014-09-21T13:45:45Z")

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> [@Miller](#):
>
> Are top lap and out punch actual things?

“The fighter who wins this will be the one who can out punch the other.”

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**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, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/48 "2014-09-21T13:48:59Z")

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> [@Miller](#):
>
> Are top lap and out punch actual things?

“Top lap” is the top layer of strata in an excavation. I was thinking it could be the first lap of a race, since the last lap is often called the “bottom lap,” but when I looked it up, the geological definition came up.

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**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, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/49 "2014-09-21T13:51:54Z")

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> [@twickster](#):
>
> Moved Cafe Society –\> MPSIMS

Man, that’s like moving from Park City to the city park.

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**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/50 "2014-09-21T13:53:10Z")

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> [@Evil\_Captor](#):
>
> “The fighter who wins this will be the one who can out punch the other.”

On further examination outpunch is a portmanteau, whereas punch out is not a portmanteau, so I’m not sure if it counts or not.

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**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, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/51 "2014-09-21T13:59:06Z")

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I use fish bait, but I never use bait fish.

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**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/52 "2014-09-21T14:13:24Z")

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Old age / age old

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**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/53 "2014-09-21T14:21:26Z")

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Prick Finger and Finger Prick - George Carlin

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**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, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/54 "2014-09-21T14:30:21Z")

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Break my wife’s Christian cross and you’ll see one cross Christian.

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**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, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/55 "2014-09-21T16:31:16Z")

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Most universities have a building called\* Memorial Hall\*, because it’s dedicated to a number of different people, and usually features an actual hall, with portraits of benefactors. Gallaudet University has a building call the _Hall Memorial_. It’s a major classroom building named after former president Percival Hall.

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**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/56 "2014-09-21T21:05:58Z")

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I fed my chocolate lab Lab Chocolate.

Like, chocolate made in a laboratory? Or specially made for labs? Right, guys? Guys? Why are you walking away?

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**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/57 "2014-09-21T21:10:54Z")

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I gave my bass player a verbal **beatdown** for continually coming in on the **downbeat**.

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/58 "2014-09-21T21:17:39Z")

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Near-antonyms:

Look over and overlook

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**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/59 "2014-09-21T21:20:35Z")

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gun shot and shotgun

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**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-pairs-that-describe-something-in-both-orders/699043/60 "2014-09-21T21:41:42Z")

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spa day / day spa

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