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August 17, 2025 9:09 am
Why do we speak of the red, white, and blue when discussing the American flag? Why not blue, white, and red or white, red, and blue? A couple of reasons: The color order lodged in the language thanks in part to the patriotic song from the 1840s, “Columbia, Gem of the Ocean.” The phrase red, white, and blue follows a trochaic pattern which has a pleasing rhythm. The staying power of this phrase is reinforced by what’s called hendiatris, from ancient Greek for “one through three,” a rhetorical device where an idea is strengthened when expressed as a triad, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This is part of a complete episode.