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A set phrase or fixed phrase is a phrase whose parts are fixed. In English, many set phrases are composed of an adjective and a noun, but this is not essential to the definition of the phenomenon. Set phrases may function as idioms (e.g. red herring) or as words with a unique referent (e.g. Red Sea).^[1] There is no clear dividing line between a commonly used phrase and a set phrase. It is also not easy to draw a clear distinction between set phrases and compound words.^[1]

In theoretical linguistics, two-word set phrases are said to arise during the generative formation of English nouns.^{[citation needed]}

While compound words are often stressed on the first syllable, set phrases usually carry equal stress on each word.^[1]

[edit] Examples of set phrases

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[edit] Spaces and containers

Base words that have spatial or container semantic content frequently combine as set phrases: room, office, box, bag.

• ˡplant room
• ˡconference room
• ˡnews room
• ˡsewing room
• ˡtax office
• ˡlunch box
• ˡsports bag
• reˡtirement package ("package" here is a metaphorical container)

[edit] -ing action spaces

Action-based "ing" words when combined with nouns representing spaces and/or containers frequently create set phrases.

• runˡning shoe
• startˡing line
• sewˡing maˡchine

[edit] See also

Look up set phrase in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Cliché
• Collocation
• Idiom
• Phrasal verb

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b c} McArthur, Tom. (1992) The Oxford Companion to the English Language. Oxford: Oxford University Press.