Words that marry together

This is the one i came across from one random blogger-Russelite. I really think this is kinda of cool

For many, summer is the time for wedding bells, rustling silk and happy brides and grooms. Like people, words can also tie the knot.

1. Dillydally - to waste time in hesitation; dawdle; if they dillydally, someone will buy the house. Reduplication of dally (to trifle with).

2. Gridlock - traffic jam; impasse; they were caught in a traffic jam

3. Namby-Pamby - wishy-washy; without moral strength; originally the satirical writing of Ambrose Philips, an 18th century English poet known for his sentimental writing.

4. Counterpoint - combination of independent melodies into a harmonious whole; Latin contra- (against) and punctum (dot).

5. Blindside - to take unawares; attack from unexpected source; the linebacker came in to blindside the quarterback.

6. Nettlesome - irritating; troublesome; the nettlesome subway distracted the writer.

7. Dumbfound - to shock; render speechless; he was dumbfounded by what he saw.

8. Bushwhack - to clear a path by cutting undergrowth; to ambush; their expedition sometimes bushwhacked for miles.

9. Skinflint - stingy or miserly person. Figuratively, one who would skin a flint in order to save or gain something.

10. Flimflam - deception, especially involving skillful persuasion; reduplication of flam (deceptive trick); the movie was about an elaborate flimflam.

11. Leeway - Flexibility; safety margin; with 15 minutes leeway we can reach the plane.

12. Hamstring - to disable; frustrate; old English hamm (bend of knee) and streng (rope); they tried to hamstring reform

13. Forgo - to do without; give up something; the doctor decided to forgo the fee of the poor pauper.

14. Makeshift - substitute; temporarily expedient; the school was makeshift housing for evacuees.

15. Foreshadow - to indicate; be a sign of something to come; their victory foreshadowed the end of the war.

16. Belabor - to harp on; discuss something endlessly; he belabored his appeal on animal act welfare.

17. Bailiwick - area of special skills; knowledge or authority; Middle English baili (deputy sheriff) and wik (village); Christina Aguilera’s bailiwick is soul music.

18. Forestall - to prevent or hinder by doing something in advance; she stated her side of the story to forestall misjudgments.

19. Pyrotechnics - fireworks display; a dazzling show of wit or brilliance; Greek pyr (fire) and techne (art); The pyrotechnics of saxophones.

20. Forthright - frank; straightforward; Barrack Obama was forthright about his platforms.