There are some things you can’t hear or think of without something else also coming to mind. When many of us hear “peanut butter,” we immediately think “jelly!”
Some pairs even date back hundreds of years. For example, people have been eating mashed potatoes with gravy since the 18th century.[1]
Learning to pair things together is also an important part of our earliest development. A child figuring out how to pair objects is the first step to associating letters with one another and eventually learning to read.[2]
If you’re on the hunt for a classic duo, you’ve come to the right place. Below, we have the list of 57 pairs of things that go together.
You’ll also find a few fun activities beneath the list to help you come up with more pairs.
Salt and Pepper
Needle and Thread[3]
Cookies and Milk
Me and You
Peanut Butter and Jelly
Bread and Butter
Stars and Stripes[4]
Sweet and Sour[4]
Hugs and Kisses[3]
Fish and Chips[5]
Cloak and Dagger[6]
Bow and Arrow[5]
Cat and Mouse
King and Queen
Black and White[5]
War and Peace[6]
Give and Take
Cat and Dog
Nuts and Bolts[3]
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy[3]
Spaghetti and Meatballs[5]
Lock and Key
Pros and Cons[6]
Left and Right
Nickel and Dime[3]
Macaroni and Cheese[5]
Surf and Turf[5]
Pots and Pans[6]
Bed and Breakfast[4]
Hot and Spicy
Coat and Tie
Ketchup and Mustard[3]
Horse and Carriage[3]
Love and Marriage[3]
Brother and Sister
Smoke and Mirrors[4]
Mom and Dad
Green Eggs and Ham
Pins and Needles[3]
Cream and Sugar
Bacon and Eggs
Peaches and Cream
Thunder and Lightning
Flint and Steel
Fork and Knife[5]
Hammer and Nails[5]
Prince and Princess
Pencil and Paper
Peanut Butter and Chocolate
Chicken and Rice
Bricks and Mortar[6]
Apples and Oranges
Crime and Punishment[6]
Meat and Potatoes[4]
Shoes and Socks
Fun and Games
Cup and Saucer
Helpful Activities for Finding Common Pairs
We’ve listed some of the most well-known pairs that go together, but plenty of other things come in twos as well.
Complete these activities to find your own expanded list of pairs!
- Random Pairs: Grab a sheet of paper and have someone call out random, everyday things, such as “pen,” “fork,” “book,” and “bottle.” Write down each word the person says, then the first thing that comes to mind when you think of that word. You’re bound to come across at least a couple of great ideas for pairs!
- Favorite Pairs: Make a list of your favorite things in the world. These might be your favorite possessions, gear related to your hobbies, or items you collect. Then, figure out what goes best with each one. This may prompt a few useful ideas for pairs. For example, if you collect cute mugs, you might come up with “mugs and bowls.”
- Matching/Themed Pairs: Another idea is to think of things that are the same color, items that share a common theme, or rhyming words. Among some fun, silly answers, you’ll also find great pairs, such as “surf and turf” (which rhyme) or “sapphires and rubies” (which are both gemstones).
Top 289 Things That Start With S: Household Items, Toys, Clothing, etc
Top 159 Things Starting With A: Household Items, Toys, Clothing, etc
Top 157 Things That Start With T: Toys, Clothing, etc
Top 171 Things That Start With P: Household Items, Toys, Clothing, etc
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