Winken, Blinken, and Nod.

[conuly]

Yakko, Wakko, and Dot.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
Ed, Edd, and Eddy.
Up, up, and away!
Ego, superego, id.

I could go on like that all day. What is it called when you have three or more names or words in a list, and the first ones all are alike in some way but the last one is different? Like, the newest Sandra Boynton book, 15 animals, has a boy naming every animal in his house. They're all Bob except, naturally, the last one. There has to be a name for this!

Comments

[peebs1701.livejournal.com]

Near as I can tell it's because three is the smallest series that can establish and break a pattern. More at Wiki.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_three_(writing)

[breakableheart.livejournal.com]

That's what I was going to say. Two sets the pattern, the third one breaks it AND MUCH HILARITY ENSUES!

Woah, there's a wiki for that?

[peebs1701.livejournal.com]

There is a wiki for EVERYTHING. Go ahead, I dare you, look for something weird. It will be there. It's like a whole new version of Rule 34.

[breakableheart.livejournal.com]

Sadly, I'm so uncool I had to look up "rule 34" on wiki.

[peebs1701.livejournal.com]

My favorite commentary on Rule 34:
http://xkcd.com/305/

[conuly]

Okay, but is there a name for that specific variation of the Rule of Three?

I mean, the that rule applies to the habit of grouping things in threes. But the variation of *almost* grouping in threes, that should have a sub-name!