As my family will tell you, there are some stories I repeat frequently; I know I do the same thing in this column.[1] I like to think I limit it to interesting topics. [2]

Four readers responded to my most recent item on the subject:

Jane Anderson Vercelli, Clark Smith, Christopher van der Kaay and Stephen Coquet

Rule Of Three Dubbed Triplets For Headline Fit

For purposes of this column, the Rule of Three has been renamed triplets, as it is applied to three adjectives before a person’s name. This is for technical reasons: it is easier to type, and I am now trying to write traditional headlines, which are concise and include a verb. Shorter words make that easier.[3]

Triplets Prove Mutable Across Time

Steve Coquet and I have both participated in this exercise before. Steve’s triplets:

2021: garrulous, slow-speaking and decrepit.

2026: Decrepit, sardonic and verbose

Paul’s Triplets Revealed

2021: Cheerful, optimistic and upbeat[4]

2024 (In a This And That): chubby, cherubic and cheerful.[5].

2026: plump, upbeat, chatty

2026 negative triplet: (In honor of Jane’s innovation): egotistical, inconsiderate and thoughtless. [6]

Anderson advances triplet form

Jane Anderson is the first reader to provide both a positive triplet and a negative triplet.

Positive triplet: observant, insightful, prolific writer 

Negative triplet: disorganized, absent-minded, time blind.

AI offers triplet for itself

Forwarded from Christopher van der Kaay, Ph.D.:

After reading your Rule of Three post, it was too tempting not to ask Chat GPT and it chose for itself “precise, analytical, and restrained.” Although I’d use the descriptors “glib, unoriginal, and overconfident.” My wife thinks I am “analytical, articulate, and thoughtful” (how nice of her). But I much prefer “pragmatic, goofy, and bald.”

Whatever AI is being used for search assist by Duck Duck Go describes itself as “reflective, intentional, evaluative.”

GPT5-mini: “Curious, concise, helpful”

But it can’t seem top make up its mind. Christopher van der Kaay, Ph.D. asked GPT, which responded “precise, analytical, and restrained.”

Hallucination? You be the judge.

Readers provide thoughtful triplets

Clark Smith: “zany, whip-smart maverick”

My nephew Paul: “excitable, considerate, diligent

In addition to asking AI for its triplet, Van der Kaay picked his own triplet. “I’d use the descriptors “glib, unoriginal, and overconfident.” My wife thinks I am ‘analytical, articulate, and thoughtful’ (how nice of her). But I much prefer pragmatic, goofy, and bald.”

Triplet columns propagate

Previous items on this subject:
July 11, 2021: Cheerful, Optimistic and Upbeat
April 5, 2026: The Rule of Three

Footnotes

[1] Not too often, right?

[2] And stories about myself. If it’s worth saying once, it’s worthy saying again–just not 50 times.

[3] Think FDR, DDE, JFK and LBJ if you have any idea who they were

[4] Frankly, I like this one best. It has aged well

[5] Clearly alliteration was more important then accuracy

[6] Dished out by long-past lovers. I haven’t heard these since I got married, 45 years ago. Who says an old dog can’t learn new tricks?