Hale and hearty

This alliterative expression describes a person who is in robust and good health. Hale and hearty are words that mean the same thing, namely robust and in good health. Hale is much older and dates from Old English (i.e. before the mid-12th century), while hearty is relatively more recent dating from the early 1500s. The two words were put together in the current expression at some time during the mid-19th century, one suspects purely for its alliterative effect.