THREE = passageway, trinity, movement, synthesis, harmony, agreement, expression, power, perfection, communication, interaction, neutrality
- also known as trio, triad, trinity, trois, tres, trilogy, triptych, triplet, threesome, triumvirate
- three is a synthesis of one plus two; in early mysticism, three was seen as the compound of one (unity) and two (diversity), representing the creative power of the universe
- basis for fundamental structures
- a triangle is the only figure which, if all endpoints had hinges, never changes its shape unless the sides themselves are bent
- pyramids (triangle) = upward aspiration, transformation, completion
- three points creates the second dimension (area); length x width x height create three dimensions (3D)
- Δ = male, ▽ = female
- trinity is found in most religions (see more details here)
- Romans considered three "the perfect number", and made it the high tenet of Christianity
- Trinidad is spanish for trinity
- three is the first odd prime
- atoms, the basic building blocks of life, have three main parts: proton, neutrons and electrons
- triathlons involve three events: 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of cycling, 26.2 miles of running)
- performers who are considered Triple Threat can sing, dance and act
- three is atomic number of lithium
- to cube a number (³) is to multiply it by itself twice (A x A x A)
- three is associated with both good luck and bad luck; "third time's a charm" evokes positive, but "bad things come in threes" evokes the negative
- on telephone keypads, the "3" key is associated with the letters D, E and F
- the mathematical constant pi (π) rounds down to 3
- 3.00 denotes a grade-point average of "B"
- Roman numeral is III
- in astrology, the third sign of the Zodiac is Gemini, the Twins (May 21 - June 20)
- triplets are three offspring in the same pregnancy. They can be identical (developing from one zygote that splits and forms three embryos), or fraternal (developing from two or three separate eggs that are fertilized by two or three separate sperm)
- there are many rules in sports related to three; see them all here
- movie trilogies are very common; see the full list here
- J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings is not a trilogy, though it is often referred to as such. Tolkien regarded it as a single work and divided it into a prologue, six books, and five appendices. Because of post-World War II paper shortages, it was originally published in three volumes.
- The Oresteia is a trilogy of Greek tragedies written by Aeschylus
- in astrology, 3 is ruled by Jupiter
- 3 ball in billiards is solid red
- "on the 3rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me, three french hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree"
- there are 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon
- third wedding anniversary gift is leather
- on a computer keyboard, Shift+3 gives you a number sign (#)
COMMON THREES:
- beginning, middle, end
- past, present, future,
- birth, life, death
- animal, plant, mineral
- father, mother, child
- heaven, earth, hell
- rock, paper, scissors
- genies grant three wishes
- in baseball, three strikes, you're out
- three primary colours (in pigment R, Y, B, or in light R, G, B)
- Three Amigos
- three branches of US government (Executive, Legislative, Judicial)
- three chipmunks (Alvin, Simon, Theodore)
- Three Blind Mice (see how they run)
- Goldilocks and the Three Bears
- The Three Little Pigs
- Three Sisters, a play by Anton Chekhov (Olga, Masha, Irina)
- three witches in Macbeth
- three men in a tub (butcher, baker, candlestick maker)
- Three Stooges (Larry, Curly, Mo)
- Three Tenors (Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras, Luciano Pavarotti)
- Three Wise Men who brought gold, frankincense and myrrh
- Three Musketeers, a novel by Alexandre Dumas (Athos, Aramis and Porthos)
- three wise monkeys (see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil)
- three literary points of view (first person, second person, third person)
- three parts of Freudian psyche (id, ego, superego)
- three R's of education (reading, 'riting, and 'rithmatic)
- three types of rock (igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic)
