Query: why "salt and pepper" but not "pepper and salt"?

[Benjamin Zimmer]

On Wed, 18 May 2005 03:46:56 -0500, Michael McKernan
<mckernan at LOCALNET.COM> wrote:
>
>Interesting how these two phrases, as I hear them, both place the
>rhythmic accent on salt:
>
>/salt' - and pepper/ (as in 'Dragnet' theme)
>
>and
>
>/pepper and salt' -/ (as in Beethoven's Fifth)
>
>In my (limited, obviously) personal experience, 'salt and pepper' is much
>more common than 'pepper and salt,' to the extent that the latter stands
>out as an attention-getter because of its unexpected reversal of the
>ordinary phrase.  (Probably explains why Beethoven borrowed the rhythm,
>since he was known to be so fond of English food, wasn't he?  Anyway, he
>certainly wanted the attention.)

Next you'll be telling us that Bo Diddley was fond of trips to the
barbershop costing 25 cents.


--Ben Zimmer