# Words that go together **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 7, 2013, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-go-together/646317 "2013-01-07T04:51:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-go-together/646317/61 "2013-01-10T15:28:24Z")
You can’t have Spic without Span. I wonder how many people who use the term scot free know what scot means. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-go-together/646317/62 "2013-01-10T15:50:17Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > You can’t have Spic without Span. > I wonder how many people who use the term scot free know what scot means. It’s Mr. Miracle’s first name - who doesn’t know that? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-go-together/646317/63 "2013-01-10T15:55:11Z")
Wrought is almost always only used with iron or in a purposefully archaic phrasing like “What hath God wrought.” The reason, of course, is because wrought is merely the past tense of work and worked is a much more popular and standard inflection. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-go-together/646317/64 "2013-01-10T16:00:21Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally Posted by Leaffan View Post > What? You don’t write an exam in the US? What do you do? Fail it? How about “petrified” usually being followed by “wood?” ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-go-together/646317/65 "2013-01-10T16:05:27Z")
One can be petrified in their tracks. ---
**Author:** ![svd678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@svd678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/svd678)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-go-together/646317/66 "2013-01-10T16:14:52Z")
I will give a loud cheer the next time I hear someone recite of list: things, people,etc. without saying, “last but not least.” ---
**Author:** ![MacLir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@MacLir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacLir)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-go-together/646317/67 "2013-01-10T16:15:12Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > There’s only “flotsam” where there’s also “jetsam” Not so! They are typically used together because, like “boys and girls” they are two classes within the same general type. I will grant that the phrase “flotsam and jetsam” to refer to random assemblages, especially those of dubious value, has had a lot of use. They actually refer to types of marine salvage and can occur separately or together. Flotsam is what falls off a ship or is released by action of a shipwreck, and is salvageable by the finder - Finders Keepers. Jetsam is items intentionally jettisoned (note the similarity of terms) in efforts to save a ship from sinking, and the owner retains title if the item can be located. (Salvagers can get a finders fee / reward.) ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-go-together/646317/68 "2013-01-10T16:57:51Z")
love and marriage horse and carriage I must have watched _Married with children_ too much. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-go-together/646317/69 "2013-01-10T17:11:58Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Fail it? > > How about “petrified” usually being followed by “wood?” In [certain contexts](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeons_and_dragons), “petrified” is usually followed by “adventurers”. Only if the dungeon master likes cockatrices or gorgons, and hates his player party. So, pretty often. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-go-together/646317/70 "2013-01-10T20:37:16Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > “Write a picture” is a well-known grammar error, if only you did the research I suggested. I will simply cite one of the [links](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collocation) you provided: > [@](#): > > Knowledge of collocations is vital for the competent use of a language: a grammatically correct sentence will stand out as awkward if collocational references are violated. Underlining added. It appears to be you that is misuing the word “grammar”. Not to say that collocation is not a thing, but you seem to be misstating how it works. From the link, collocation appears to be a larger thing that includes the concept this thread is addressing. ---
**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:** [January 10, 2013, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-go-together/646317/71 "2013-01-10T20:38:51Z")
Ulterior and motive. And here in Montreal, crumbling and infrastructure. ---
**Author:** ![Eggerhaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@Eggerhaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eggerhaus)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-go-together/646317/72 "2013-01-10T23:02:28Z")
Maybe cuz I’m a certified old fart®, but when I hear the word “Kennedy” I immediately think of the word “compound”. ---
**Author:** ![Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Backwater_Under_Duck)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-go-together/646317/73 "2013-01-10T23:56:24Z")
In California, at least, one seldom sees the word “Lamborghini” in the news without being attached to the phrase “wrapped around a telephone pole”. ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-go-together/646317/74 "2013-01-11T01:18:38Z")
“Inclement” appears to have the singular function of describing the weather. I’ve never heard it used in any other capacity. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-go-together/646317/75 "2013-01-11T03:44:58Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > You can’t have Spic without Span. Well, you _can_, but I’d be very careful about using it. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-go-together/646317/76 "2013-01-11T03:49:30Z")
Nm ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-go-together/646317/77 "2013-01-11T04:16:27Z")
_Halcyon_ Days. Grassy _Knoll_. God _smited_. And one which probably is more of a Brit soccer thing… _Diabolical_ decision. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-go-together/646317/78 "2013-01-11T04:43:02Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > You can’t have Spic without Span. In my youth, “Spic” was a vulgar contraction of “Hispanic”, not something you would use in polite company. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-go-together/646317/79 "2013-01-11T04:44:17Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Well, you _can_, but I’d be very careful about using it. > [@For You](#): > > In my youth, “Spic” was a vulgar contraction of “Hispanic”, not something you would use in polite company. Indeed. My point exactly. ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-go-together/646317/80 "2013-01-11T04:49:44Z")
> [@For You](#): > > In my youth, “Spic” was a vulgar contraction of “Hispanic”, not something you would use in polite company. I’ve only ever seen it spelt ‘_Spick_ and Span’. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-go-together/646317.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-go-together/646317.md?page=5)