Sentence structure?

Perhaps a poor title, but I have a question. Does one say 'brothers and sisters' or does one say 'sisters and brother'? There appears to be some structure in our common English language that make some wording just appear strange, at least to me.

Another example: we say 'little red caboose ' ... not ...' red little caboose'. At least I should say it that way where I live.

CS

To me "brothers and sisters" sounds better. Maybe because it's in alphabetical order? I guess there could also be an argument made for chronological order...say if one's sisters were older then you might choose to say, "sisters and brothers," but I like the "brothers and sisters" better myself.

"Brother and sisters." I'm no grammar expert, but I suspect that male siblings got top billing in that phrase due to the fact that historically it's been a male-dominated society. And the order is perpetuated now because it sounds more natural from having heard it that way all our lives. But I don't see why feminists shouldn't reverse it if they desire - provided they don't mind it sounding a bit odd to most readers.

It sounds pretty natural to me either way. I don't think it's the same as "red little caboose". But maybe that's the "Free to Be, You and Me" influence on my childhood (There's a song that starts "Sisters and brothers, brothers and sisters...")

English is a weird language. Other languages have adjectives in different orders, or have the now in front of the adjectives (I know some writers whose native tongue is french who have to resist writing the "the van blue" when talking about a blue van).

There was something posted here a few months ago that talked about the order of adjectives and how english speakers instinctively know it while English as a Second Language type struggle with the unwritten rules. Maybe someone can find that post for you?

There is definitely an order of adjectives in English, and as GG says, native speakers spick it up very early so that the correct order sounds right.

Quantity
Quality
Size
Shape
Colour
Origin or material
Purpose

So...
Two lovely big round pink English schoolgirl bottoms
or
One fine long thin brown Malacca school cane.

With regard to the brothers and sisters I think it doesn't really matter, and (apart from the obvious necessity to maintain male primacy as mentioned above) one chooses on poetic grounds.

When one is singular and the other plural it always looks a bit odd, but I'd put the singular first:

"I was spanked along with my sister and brothers" sounds, to this ear at least, better than "I was spanked along with my brothers and sister", though "I spanked my sister" sounds better all round.

Back in the day, the caboose had but four wheels...so it was small...and usually red...and usually at the end of the train...so the little red caboose at the end of the train...just seems to flow better.

(I made a caboose red last night, but there was no train involved.)

I just re-read Asterix chez Les Bretons. And it's hilarious when Asterix's British cousin Anticlimax goes to Gaul asking for help against Romans and inverts adjectives and verbs speaking French.

I like the bit where the Britons stop their battle at 4 o'clock so they can drink hot water "with a cloud of milk"

It's our patriarchal society, then we come to the issue of the titles Mrs and Miss, another sexist delineation of marital status.

Tis the way of the world, though Sir and Madam is much more becoming...................