words in trio "Tom, Dick and Harry"

[Steve88]

I wish to find out more on phrase that comprises words in trio like "Food, shelter and clothing" , "Tom, Dick and Harry", etc . Do you know what they're called? Anyone could tell me where could I find out more information about them.

[Shannongcole]

I am not aware of an actual term for phrases that are made up of three main words. There are set lists that have adopted a certain order because they have been used frequently in that particular order, but they do not always appear in sets of three. "Tom, Dick and Harry" would be one, but there are others. "Peas and carrots" is a two-word example. "Sun, (earth,) moon, stars, (and sky)" shows how these phrases are not always stuck at three words, but can be expanded to four or five. Additionally, some phrases may have adopted a certain order to demonstrate the most important items in a list first, and the least important last (as in "food, shelter, and clothing").

The best way would be to keep a notebook of these expressions when you hear them (just as you would do with idioms), and google them to see if they tend to occur as a ordered, set expression. If not, then the order is probably not so important. Again, I am not aware of any master website online of these phrases, but I might suggest searching for "lists" instead of "phrases," as strictly speaking these seem to be lists of nouns that are ordered.