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Most academic research on binomials which have frozen would seem to focus around the scan of the phrase.

In short it "sounds better" (i.e., is easier to say, more punchy, et cetera) one way than the other.

(The academic thought on the matter seems to discuss the detailed intricacies of why a pair scans better one way or another: so, any lyricist might say of a pair "of course it scans better oe way than the other..."; the academic literature seems to investigate the why of this in detail.)

Here's a very worthwhile survey article

An absolute basic in thought about the scan of binomials, if we care about previous thinking on the matter, would seem to be that the "shorter" scanning word goes first...

In asking about the binomial "frozen" nature of thunder and lightning, it's difficult to see why one wouldn't first, instantly, look at that aspect, since thunder and lightning is a perfect example of it, the "shorter" scan word going first.

Note that this answer previously included some irrelevant survey material, such as a list of musical and poetic uses of the binomial in question. Useless and confusing so redacted.

Most academic research on binomials which have frozen would seem to focus around the scan of the phrase.

In short it "sounds better" (i.e., is easier to say, more punchy, et cetera) one way than the other.

(The academic thought on the matter seems to discuss the detailed intricacies of why a pair scans better one way or another: so, where any lyricist might say of a pair "of course it scans better this way than the other way..." the academic literature seems to investigate the "why" of that in detail.)

Here's a very worthwhile survey article

A basic in thought about the scan of binomials, if we care about previous thinking on the matter, would seem to be that the "shorter" scanning word goes first...

In asking about the binomial "frozen" nature of thunder and lightning, it's difficult to see why one wouldn't first, instantly, look at that aspect: since thunder and lightning is a perfect example of it with the "shorter" scan word going first.

Note that this answer previously included some irrelevant survey material, such as a list of musical and poetic uses of the binomial in question. Useless and confusing so redacted.

I believe the only deep ultimate answer to your question is that the words 'scan' better in that order. (Probably because "thunder-and" groups up as one scan, so it's kind of a two-beat ... thunder-n / lightning.)

If you haven't thought much about "scan" in languague: try saying the phrase in question very aggressively in both directions (reduce the "and" to just an "n" stuck on the end of the first word); it really only works in the way we are more familiar with it. ("Thundern Lightning" versus "Lightningn Thunder". "Thundern Lightning" can be delivered in two beats, punch punch. If you try to say "Lightningn Thunder" aggressively it's 1-2-3-1-2 or something at best, or you have to do a "lift".)

Note that for many, perhaps all, such "binomials" (assume that is the best term), the scan being better one way than the other is critical.

Note critically: if you're thinking "well hell I have my own ideas on this scan business", then:

The fact that love and marriage, horse and carriage, odds and ends, thunder and lighting, DO IN FACT APPEAR that way in lyrics, many times over, is indeed proof that the scan is that way. If marriage and love, or, lightning and thunder worked better in terms of scan, then Sammy Cahn, Jeff Lynne, Shakespeare et al would certainly have done them that way.

It's worth noting that

donner and blitzen

as a phrase was immortalised (or, something) recentishly by the poem "Night before Christmas".

Donner, Blizten are of course just cute names for the reindeer, based on the German words for thunder, lightning (donner, blitz, respectively). (For full details on the origin of these fun names, which is utterly irrelevant to this question, click to this article )

Many common phrases do in fact originate in popular lyrics or film, books or Shakespeare (ranging from "Let it be", "Love, love, love" to "I'll be back" or "Off with his head"): in this case by no means was this the first time the pair was used that way, I'm just pointing out it's yet another reason it seems so natural that way. It's a nursery rhyme basic.

Here are two other massive cultural references, in English, which uses that ordering:

from 1977:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnpqx7TCRnQ

from 1975:

https://youtu.be/fJ9rUzIMcZQ?t=3m6s

Also has been mentioned:

from 1600:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shakespeare

from "sometime":

An answer above mentions the tuple was used "in the bible",

so anyone interested could find out what year the translation in question appeared.

Most academic research on binomials which have frozen would seem to focus around the scan of the phrase.

In short it "sounds better" (i.e., is easier to say, more punchy, et cetera) one way than the other.

(The academic thought on the matter seems to discuss the detailed intricacies of why a pair scans better one way or another: so, any lyricist might say of a pair "of course it scans better oe way than the other..."; the academic literature seems to investigate the why of this in detail.)

Here's a very worthwhile survey article

An absolute basic in thought about the scan of binomials, if we care about previous thinking on the matter, would seem to be that the "shorter" scanning word goes first...

In asking about the binomial "frozen" nature of thunder and lightning, it's difficult to see why one wouldn't first, instantly, look at that aspect, since thunder and lightning is a perfect example of it, the "shorter" scan word going first.

Note that this answer previously included some irrelevant survey material, such as a list of musical and poetic uses of the binomial in question. Useless and confusing so redacted.

It's worth noting that

donner and blitzen

as a phrase was immortalised (or, something) by, in brief, the poem "Night before Christmas".

Donner, blizten are of course just cute names for the reindeer, from the German words for thunder, lightning (donner, blitz, respectively). (For full details on the origin of these fun names, which is utterly irrelevant to this question, as I said previously click to this article )

Many common phrases originate in popular lyrics or film, books or Shakespeare (ranging from "Let it be", "Love, love, love" to "I'll be back" or "Off with his head").

By no means was this the first time the pair was used that way, I'm just pointing out it's yet another reason it seems so natural that way.

Here are two other massive cultural references, in English, which uses that ordering:

from 1977:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnpqx7TCRnQ

from 1975:

https://youtu.be/fJ9rUzIMcZQ?t=3m6s

Also has been mentioned:

from 1600:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shakespeare

from "sometime":

There is a vague answer above which mentions the tuple was used "in the bible",

so anyone interested in facts could find out what year the translation (or...whatever) in question appeared.

I believe the only deep ultimate answer to your question is that the words 'scan' better in that order. (Probably because "thunder-and" groups up as one scan, so it's kind of a two-beat ... thunder-and / lightning. try saying it very aggressively in both directions; it really only works in the way we are more familiar with it. Of course "scan" is very subjective in poetry/lyrics, but I'd say most lyricists would see it that way.)

I believe the only deep ultimate answer to your question is that the words 'scan' better in that order. (Probably because "thunder-and" groups up as one scan, so it's kind of a two-beat ... thunder-n / lightning.)

If you haven't thought much about "scan" in languague: try saying the phrase in question very aggressively in both directions (reduce the "and" to just an "n" stuck on the end of the first word); it really only works in the way we are more familiar with it. ("Thundern Lightning" versus "Lightningn Thunder". "Thundern Lightning" can be delivered in two beats, punch punch. If you try to say "Lightningn Thunder" aggressively it's 1-2-3-1-2 or something at best, or you have to do a "lift".)

Note that for many, perhaps all, such "binomials" (assume that is the best term), the scan being better one way than the other is critical.

Note critically: if you're thinking "well hell I have my own ideas on this scan business", then:

The fact that love and marriage, horse and carriage, odds and ends, thunder and lighting, DO IN FACT APPEAR that way in lyrics, many times over, is indeed proof that the scan is that way. If marriage and love, or, lightning and thunder worked better in terms of scan, then Sammy Cahn, Jeff Lynne, Shakespeare et al would certainly have done them that way.

It's worth noting that

donner and blitzen

as a phrase was immortalised (or, something) recentishly by the poem "Night before Christmas".

Donner, Blizten are of course just cute names for the reindeer, based on the German words for thunder, lightning (donner, blitz, respectively). (For full details on the origin of these fun names, which is utterly irrelevant to this question, click to this article )

Many common phrases do in fact originate in popular lyrics or film, books or Shakespeare (ranging from "Let it be", "Love, love, love" to "I'll be back" or "Off with his head"): in this case by no means was this the first time the pair was used that way, I'm just pointing out it's yet another reason it seems so natural that way. It's a nursery rhyme basic.

Here are two other massive cultural references, in English, which uses that ordering:

from 1977:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnpqx7TCRnQ

from 1975:

https://youtu.be/fJ9rUzIMcZQ?t=3m6s

Also has been mentioned:

from 1600:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shakespeare

from "sometime":

An answer above mentions the tuple was used "in the bible",

so anyone interested could find out what year the translation in question appeared.