Top 57 Pairs of Things That Go Together
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.
Pairs of Things That Go Together
Cookies and Milk
Salt and Pepper
Peanut Butter and Jelly
Pros and Cons[3]
Bow and Arrow[4]
Hugs and Kisses[5]
Me and You
Bread and Butter
Sweet and Sour[6]
Thunder and Lightning
Needle and Thread[5]
Nuts and Bolts[5]
Fish and Chips[4]
Cat and Mouse
Spaghetti and Meatballs[4]
Green Eggs and Ham
Shoes and Socks
Macaroni and Cheese[4]
Cat and Dog
Ketchup and Mustard[5]
Hammer and Nails[4]
Prince and Princess
Hot and Spicy
Flint and Steel
Give and Take
Peaches and Cream
War and Peace[3]
Black and White[4]
King and Queen
Pots and Pans[3]
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy[5]
Lock and Key
Left and Right
Pencil and Paper
Cloak and Dagger[3]
Crime and Punishment[3]
Bacon and Eggs
Bed and Breakfast[6]
Apples and Oranges
Love and Marriage[5]
Surf and Turf[4]
Chicken and Rice
Fork and Knife[4]
Fun and Games
Brother and Sister
Nickel and Dime[5]
Horse and Carriage[5]
Meat and Potatoes[6]
Smoke and Mirrors[6]
Stars and Stripes[6]
Peanut Butter and Chocolate
Cream and Sugar
Cup and Saucer
Pins and Needles[5]
Mom and Dad
Bricks and Mortar[3]
Coat and Tie
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).