（三字短語）& （兩字短語）

Three word expressions

Three word expressions are common in English. Practicing them and using them when you speak will help you sound more natural. Here are several common expressions, along with an explanation and example sentence.
black and white = something which is extremely clear（黑白分明的；絕對的）
He told her in black and white that she couldn't leave the house while he was out.

dos and don'ts = the rules （行為準則，須知，注意事項）
There are various dos and don'ts about driving in the UK.

haves and have nots = people who are rich and those who are not （富人和窮人）
In London you can find the haves and have nots of the population.

ins and outs = the details （細節，始末，詳情）
I don't know the ins and outs of the situation, so I can't really advise you.

kiss and tell = when someone sells a story of themselves and a famous person （泄漏秘密）
The British tabloids are famous for publishing kiss and tell stories.

odds and ends = small pieces of various items （零碎東西，零星雜物）
She made a stew with the odds and ends she found in the fridge.

P's and Q's = manners ( such as please and thank you ) （言行）
Mind your P's and Q's when you visit them!

pros and cons = advantages and disadvantages （贊成和反對）
There are a few pros and cons that we should consider before buying a new house.

rights and wrongs = all the good points and bad points of a situation （事情的真相、全部）
Regardless of the rights and wrongs of company policy, you need to give a month's notice.

tried and tested = something which has been well tested （經過反覆考驗的）
Using salt is a tried and tested way of getting red wine out of a carpet.

ups and downs = good and bad periods following one another in turn（盛衰，沉浮）
They have a lot of ups and downs in their relationship.

back and forth = not to stay still, but to keep traveling between two places （來回地，反覆地）
I'm so glad I'm moving. I was getting sick of going back and forth every day. Now my fourney to work will be a lot quicker.

dribs and drabs = small unimportant amounts （點滴、少量）
The marathon runners finished in dribs and drabs.

said and done = to have the final word on something （說到底，畢竟）
When it's all said and done, the new reception area is going to be a credit to the company.

cat and mouse = doing something in the same way that a cat plays with a mouse （貓鼠遊戲，欲擒故縱）
The guerillas played a cat and mouse game with the much better-equipped army.

trial and error = to do something new by making experiments and occasionally falling 反覆試驗
The new computer system has been installed. But it's a bit trial and error at the moment - nobody really knows how to use it.

flesh and blood = your family 家人
I have to help him if I can - he's my flesh and blood.

down and out = someone who has no money at all who has to live on the street （貧困的，貧病交迫的）
There are too many young down and outs in London.

by and large = generally （大體上，總的說來，一般的說）
By and large, our customers prefer good service to low prices.

bring and buy = a fair where people try to raise money for a cause by bringing something that other people might want to buy （慈善救濟性自由集市）
I'm making a cake for the school's bring and buy next week.

hide and seek = a children's game where one child hides and the others try to find him / her （捉迷藏）
Someone's been playing hide and seek with the TV remote control again.

to and fro = another way of saying " back and forth " （往返地，來回地）
I'm exhausted - I've been going to and fro all week!

over and out = something you say to show you have come to the end of your message （通話完畢）
The last thing they heard from the pilot was 'over and out'.

done and dusted = properly finished （完畢，了結）
Well, that's this project done and dusted. We need a holiday now.

wine and dine = to entertain someone lavishly （以好酒好菜款待客人）
He's well-known for winning and dining his business partners.

bread and butter = your main source of income, or the most important issue （維持生活所需的）
Health and education are the bread and butter issues facing the UK government.

spick and span = ( of a room, house, etc.) completely clean and tidy again （房間、屋子等打掃得乾乾淨淨的；整潔的）
Her house is spick and span at all times

wheel and deal = to make deals in a skillful and perhaps dishonest way when buying and selling things （討價還價，玩弄手段，投機取巧）
If you need a new car, try speaking to John. He's a bit of a wheeler and dealer.

Two word expressions （兩字短語）
In spoken English, we often use two-word phrases, such as "so-so". Here are some of the more common two word phrases.

so-so = neither very bad(ly) nor very good/well （不好也不壞的，馬馬虎虎的，還算過得去的）
-----How was the meeting?
-----So-so. It was nice to see everyone, but we didn't get anything decided.

on-off = from time to time; sometimes（斷斷續續，有時）
They have a very on-off relationship.

love-hate = having feelings for someone/something which swing from love to hate（愛恨交加的強烈感情關係）
I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with my car.

mish-mash = an untidy disorderly mixture (混雜物，大雜燴)
The new policy is a bit of a mish-mash of the last two policies we've had.

riff-raff = quite a 'snobby' expression to describe people you think are lower in class than you（烏合之眾；地痞流氓）
Let's send out invitations for the party. We don't want the town's riff-raff turning up and eating all the food.

chit-chat = small talk or informal light conversation（聊天，閑談）
He asked us to stop our chit-chat and get on with our work.

knick-knack = a small cheap decorative object, esp. for the house（小擺設，小玩藝兒）
She's got a lot of knick-knacks. I'm always  I'm going to break one.

ship-shape = made clean and neat; in good order（整齊的，井然有序的）
I want to leave the place ship-shape when we go on holiday.

zig-zag = a line shaped like a row of z's（曲折，之字形）
the zigzags of the mountain roads

ding-dong = an noisy fight or argument（爭吵，爭辯）
They've had a bit of a ding-dong and they're not talking to each other at the moment.

higgledy-piggledy = in disorder; mixed together without system（紊亂的，雜亂無章的）
That bookshelf is all higgledy-piggledy!

flip-flops = a type of open shoe, which is usu. made of rubber and is held on by the toes and loose at the back（平底人字拖鞋）
I lived in my flip-flops when I was staying on the beach.

see-saw = 1) a board which is balanced in the middle and on which children sit at opposite ends, so that when one end goes up the other goes down（蹺蹺板）
2) to move backwards and forwards, up and down, or between opponents or opposite sides（前後或上下運動；交替）
The English pound has see-sawed against the American dollar for the last two weeks.

Hip-pop
chit-chat

yeap. should be added up