Reduplicative phrases

 Phrases like "herky jerky" and "handy dandy" are called reduplicative phrases. Reduplication is a linguistic term that refers to the repetition of all or part of a word or phrase to create a new expression. These expressions often have a playful or rhythmic quality to them.

herky-jerky: characterized by or moving in sudden stops and starts.

1. Ding-dong: Refers to the sound made by a bell or a doorbell. Example: "I heard the ding-dong of the doorbell, signaling that someone had arrived."
2. Tick-tock: Represents the sound made by a clock or a watch. Example: "The tick-tock of the clock echoed through the room, marking the passing seconds."
3. Chit-chat: Refers to casual or informal conversation, often about trivial or gossip-like topics. Example: "They engaged in some chit-chat while waiting for the meeting to start."
4. Pitter-patter: Mimics the sound of light, rapid footsteps. Example: "I could hear the pitter-patter of raindrops on the roof."
5. Flip-flop: Describes a sound produced by slapping or flapping. Example: "She walked down the hallway in her flip-flops, creating a flip-flop sound with each step."
6. Wishy-washy: Describes a lack of firmness or decisiveness. Example: "He couldn't make up his mind and was being wishy-washy about which movie to watch."
7. Higgledy-piggledy: Represents a state of disorder or confusion. Example: "After the kids played, the room was left in a higgledy-piggledy mess."
8. Riff-raff: Refers to a group of people considered disreputable or of low social status. Example: "The party attracted a mix of dignitaries and riff-raff."
9. Hoity-toity: Describes someone who is arrogant, snobbish, or pretentious. Example: "She acted hoity-toity, looking down on others she deemed beneath her."
10. Hocus-pocus: Often used to refer to magic tricks or deceptive actions. Example: "With a wave of his hand and some hocus-pocus, the magician made the rabbit disappear."
11. Dilly-dally: Refers to wasting time or delaying. Example: "Stop dilly-dallying and get to work!"
12. Razzle-dazzle: Describes an impressive display or showy performance. Example: "The halftime show was full of razzle-dazzle with colorful costumes and dazzling dance moves."
13. Hocus-pocus: Often used to describe something as deceptive or trickery. Example: "Don't fall for his hocus-pocus; he's just trying to distract you from the truth."
14. Flim-flam: Refers to deception or trickery, usually for personal gain. Example: "Be cautious of those who try to sell you flim-flam schemes promising quick riches."
15. Super-duper: Emphasizes something as being excellent, outstanding, or of high quality. Example: "She baked a super-duper cake for the party, and everyone loved it."
16. Chit-chat: Casual and light conversation. Example: "We engaged in some chit-chat about the weather while waiting for the bus."
17. Hubba-hubba: Expresses excitement, admiration, or attraction. Example: "When she walked in, everyone said, 'Hubba-hubba!' because she looked stunning."
18. Topsy-turvy: Describes a state of disorder or chaos. Example: "The room was left topsy-turvy after the children had a playful pillow fight."
19. Ragtag: Refers to a group of people who are disorganized or disparate. Example: "They formed a ragtag team of volunteers to clean up the neighborhood park."
20. Tittle-tattle: Refers to gossip or idle talk. Example: "She enjoys spreading tittle-tattle about others' personal lives."
21. Riff-raff: Refers to people regarded as disreputable or undesirable. Example: "The bouncer wouldn't allow the riff-raff into the exclusive club."
22. Hocus-pocus: Often used to describe tricks, magic, or something that is meant to deceive. Example: "The magician performed some hocus-pocus and made the coin disappear."
23. Fuddy-duddy: Describes someone who is old-fashioned or overly conservative. Example: "He's such a fuddy-duddy; he never wants to try anything new."
24. Hokey-pokey: Refers to a playful or silly action. Example: "They danced the hokey-pokey at the party, putting their right foot in and shaking it all about."
25. Higgledy-piggledy: Describes something that is disorganized or chaotic. Example: "The books on the shelf were higgledy-piggledy, with no particular order."
26. Shilly-shally: Describes indecisiveness or hesitation. Example: "Stop shilly-shallying and make a decision!"
27. Fiddle-faddle: Refers to trivial or foolish talk. Example: "I don't have time for fiddle-faddle; let's get to the important matters."
28. Hurly-burly: Describes a noisy and chaotic situation. Example: "The market was filled with a hurly-burly of shoppers during the holiday season."
29. Wishy-washy: Describes someone or something lacking in decisiveness or strength. Example: "His wishy-washy stance on the issue frustrated everyone; he couldn't take a firm position."
30. Pitter-patter: Mimics the sound of light, quick footsteps. Example: "I could hear the pitter-patter of raindrops on the roof."
31. Flim-flam: Refers to deception or trickery, often used in the context of scams or swindles. Example: "Don't fall for his flim-flam; it's just a scheme to take your money."
32. Fiddle-dee-dee: Expresses dismissiveness or disregard for something. Example: "Fiddle-dee-dee! I'm not concerned about what others think of me."
33. Hobnob: Refers to socializing or mingling with others, often in a casual or friendly manner. Example: "She hobnobs with the rich and famous at exclusive events."
34. Hocus-pocus: Describes something as trickery or magic. Example: "With a wave of his wand and some hocus-pocus, the magician made the rabbit appear."
35. Hodgepodge: Describes a mixture or assortment of different things. Example: "The flea market had a hodgepodge of items for sale, from antique furniture to vintage clothing."
36. Jibber-jabber: Refers to rapid, unintelligible speech or nonsense talk. Example: "He was so excited that all he could do was jibber-jabber about his new idea."
37. Lickety-split: Describes something happening quickly or without delay. Example: "He finished the project lickety-split, much faster than expected."
38. Razzle-dazzle: Describes something impressive or showy, often associated with glamour or excitement. Example: "The performers put on a razzle-dazzle show with flashy costumes and dazzling lights."
39. Rigmarole: Refers to a complicated or lengthy process or procedure. Example: "The paperwork for the application was a rigmarole, requiring numerous forms and signatures."
40. Shilly-shally: Describes indecision or hesitancy. Example: "Stop shilly-shallying and make up your mind!"
41. Brouhaha: Refers to a noisy or chaotic situation, often accompanied by excitement or controversy. Example: "The announcement caused a brouhaha among the fans."
42. Dilly-dally: Describes wasting time or procrastinating. Example: "Don't dilly-dally; we need to leave now or we'll be late."
43. Harum-scarum: Describes reckless or impulsive behavior. Example: "He drove through the streets in a harum-scarum manner, endangering himself and others."
44. Mishmash: Refers to a jumble or mixture of different things, often in a disorganized way. Example: "Her outfit was a mishmash of patterns and colors."
45. Piggly-wiggly: Represents a playful or whimsical term, often used in children's language. Example: "They played a game of piggly-wiggly, running around and laughing."
46. Roly-poly: Describes something round or chubby in shape. Example: "The baby had a roly-poly tummy that everyone adored."
47. Scuttlebutt: Refers to gossip or rumors. Example: "There was scuttlebutt going around about their secret relationship."
48. Wibble-wobble: Describes something unstable or unsteady. Example: "The table wibble-wobbled as they placed the heavy object on top."
49. Wishy-washy: Describes someone who is indecisive or lacking conviction. Example: "His wishy-washy answers didn't inspire confidence in his leadership."
50. Yada-yada: Represents skipping or glossing over unimportant or repetitive information. Example: "She talked about her day, yada-yada, and then got to the main point."