Order of Masculine and Feminine Nouns in Binomial Phrases

The order of many binomial phrases is fixed. This is the case with binomial phrases such as come and go, black and white and here or there. This also applies to binomial phrases with masculine and feminine nouns.

In English, many binomial phrases place the masculine noun first. Consider the following phrases:

boys and girls

husband and wife

king and queen

men and women

prince and princess

However, English also has many binomial phrases  which place the feminine noun first. Consider the following:

aunt and uncle

bride and bridegroom

ladies and gentlemen

mother and father

niece and nephew

With names, it is customary to place the masculine noun first. This is the case with John and Mary, Romeo and Juliet and Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

The order of masculine and feminine nouns in binomial phrases cannot be predicted. However, the masculine noun is given first with names and with nobility. It is also often the case that the shorter word precedes the longer one. Nevertheless, the order of masculine and feminine nouns in binomial phrases is usually predetermined.