Tom, Dick and Harry
Encyclopedia
The phrase "Tom, Dick and Harry" is a placeholder
for multiple unspecified people
; "Tom, Dick or Harry" plays the same role for one unspecified person. The phrase most commonly occurs as "every Tom, Dick and Harry", meaning everyone, and "any Tom, Dick or Harry", meaning anyone, although Brewer
defines the term to specify "a set of nobodies; persons of no note". The masculine names in these phrase do not in themselves imply exclusion of females, but use of either version when the context implies necessarily being female − for example, "Your mother could be any Tom, Dick or Harry" − would normally be seen as careless or ironic. The phrase may be used with or without the serial comma
, as "Tom, Dick, and Harry" or "Tom, Dick and Harry".
who used the words in 1657. Owen told a governing body at Oxford University that "our critical situation and our common interests were discussed out of journals and newspapers by every Tom, Dick and Harry." Pairs of common male names, particularly Jack and Tom, Dick and Tom, or Tom and Tib, were often used generically in Elizabethan times. For example a variation of the phrase can be found in Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 1
(1597): "I am sworn brother to a leash of Drawers, and can call them by their names, as Tom, Dicke, and Francis."
Why does Tom come first and Harry last? In English usage, where three words are given in a series, the shortest-sounding word normally comes first, and the longest-sounding word comes last. Examples of this gradation include "tall, dark and handsome", "hook, line and sinker
", "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
"; and so on.
, tibial nerve
,
and flexor hallucis longus. This mnemonic is used to remember the order of the tendons from anterior to posterior at the level of the medial malleolus just posterior to the malleolus.
Placeholder name
Placeholder names are words that can refer to objects or people whose names are either temporarily forgotten, irrelevant, or unknown in the context in which they are being discussed...
for multiple unspecified people
Person
A person is a human being, or an entity that has certain capacities or attributes strongly associated with being human , for example in a particular moral or legal context...
; "Tom, Dick or Harry" plays the same role for one unspecified person. The phrase most commonly occurs as "every Tom, Dick and Harry", meaning everyone, and "any Tom, Dick or Harry", meaning anyone, although Brewer
Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable
Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, sometimes referred to simply as Brewer's, is a reference work containing definitions and explanations of many famous phrases, allusions and figures, whether historical or mythical.-History:...
defines the term to specify "a set of nobodies; persons of no note". The masculine names in these phrase do not in themselves imply exclusion of females, but use of either version when the context implies necessarily being female − for example, "Your mother could be any Tom, Dick or Harry" − would normally be seen as careless or ironic. The phrase may be used with or without the serial comma
Serial comma
The serial comma is the comma used immediately before a coordinating conjunction preceding the final item in a list of three or more items...
, as "Tom, Dick, and Harry" or "Tom, Dick and Harry".
Origin
The origin of the phrase is unknown although it is very old, the oldest known citation is from the 17th-century English theologian John OwenJohn Owen (theologian)
John Owen was an English Nonconformist church leader, theologian, and academic administrator at the University of Oxford.-Early life:...
who used the words in 1657. Owen told a governing body at Oxford University that "our critical situation and our common interests were discussed out of journals and newspapers by every Tom, Dick and Harry." Pairs of common male names, particularly Jack and Tom, Dick and Tom, or Tom and Tib, were often used generically in Elizabethan times. For example a variation of the phrase can be found in Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 1
Henry IV, Part 1
Henry IV, Part 1 is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written no later than 1597. It is the second play in Shakespeare's tetralogy dealing with the successive reigns of Richard II, Henry IV , and Henry V...
(1597): "I am sworn brother to a leash of Drawers, and can call them by their names, as Tom, Dicke, and Francis."
Why does Tom come first and Harry last? In English usage, where three words are given in a series, the shortest-sounding word normally comes first, and the longest-sounding word comes last. Examples of this gradation include "tall, dark and handsome", "hook, line and sinker
Hook, Line and Sinker
Hook, Line and Sinker may refer to:* Hook, line and sinker, fishing equipment* Hook, Line and Sinker , a slapstick comedy starring Wheeler & Woolsey* Hook, Line & Sinker , a comedy starring Jerry Lewis...
", "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is a 1966 Italian epic spaghetti western film directed by Sergio Leone, starring Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach in the title roles. The screenplay was written by Age & Scarpelli, Luciano Vincenzoni and Leone, based on a story by Vincenzoni and Leone...
"; and so on.
In medicine
English-speaking medical students use the phrase in memorizing the order of an artery, and a nerve, and the three tendons of the flexor retinaculum in the lower leg: the T,D,a,n, and H of Tom, Dick and Harry correspond to tibialis posterior, flexor digitorum longus, posterior tibial arteryPosterior tibial artery
The posterior tibial artery of the lower limb carries blood to the posterior compartment of the leg and plantar surface of the foot, from the popliteal artery...
, tibial nerve
Tibial nerve
The tibial nerve is a branch of the sciatic nerve. The tibial nerve passes through the popliteal fossa to pass below the arch of soleus.In the popliteal fossa the nerve gives off branches to gastrocnemius, popliteus, soleus and plantaris muscles, an articular branch to the knee joint, and a...
,
and flexor hallucis longus. This mnemonic is used to remember the order of the tendons from anterior to posterior at the level of the medial malleolus just posterior to the malleolus.
Similar phrases in other languages
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In popular culture
- Tom, Dick, and Harry were the names given to three Galapagos Island tortoises brought back to England aboard the HMS BeagleHMS BeagleHMS Beagle was a Cherokee-class 10-gun brig-sloop of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 11 May 1820 from the Woolwich Dockyard on the River Thames, at a cost of £7,803. In July of that year she took part in a fleet review celebrating the coronation of King George IV of the United Kingdom in which...
by Charles DarwinCharles DarwinCharles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
, as documented in his book, The Voyage of the BeagleThe Voyage of the BeagleThe Voyage of the Beagle is a title commonly given to the book written by Charles Darwin and published in 1839 as his Journal and Remarks, bringing him considerable fame and respect...
. - In The Great EscapeThe Great Escape (film)The Great Escape is a 1963 American film about an escape by Allied prisoners of war from a German POW camp during World War II, starring Steve McQueen, James Garner, and Richard Attenborough...
, Allied POWPrisoner of warA prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
s referred to three escape tunnels as Tom, Dick and Harry to avoid arousing the suspicions of their German captors. - 3rd Rock from the Sun3rd Rock from the Sun3rd Rock from the Sun is an American sitcom that aired from 1996 to 2001 on NBC. The show is about four extraterrestrials who are on an expedition to Earth, which they consider to be a very insignificant planet...
— the three alien characters posing as male humans took "Tom", "Dick" and "Harry" as given names (and the one posing as female took "Sally", coinciding with the comic strip). - In the G.I. JoeG.I. JoeG.I. Joe is a line of action figures produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier , Action Sailor , Action Pilot , Action Marine and later on, the Action Nurse...
universe, the real names of the original three DreadnoksDreadnoksThe Dreadnoks are a fictional biker gang who act as villains in the G.I. Joe saga, which have been represented in several types of media, including toylines , comic books series , and television cartoons .All Dreadnoks are uncouth and violent, and usually engage their enemies with...
(TorchTorch (G.I. Joe)Torch is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series of the 1980s. He is affiliated with Cobra as one of the Dreadnoks and debuted in 1985. He is often seen working closely with Ripper and Buzzer....
, BuzzerBuzzer (G.I. Joe)Buzzer is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series of the 1980s. He is affiliated with Cobra as one of the Dreadnoks and debuted in 1985.-Profile:...
and RipperRipper (G.I. Joe)Ripper is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series of the 1980s. He is affiliated with Cobra as one of the Dreadnoks and debuted in 1985.-Profile:...
) are Tom Wynken, Dick Blynken and Harry Nod. - In FuturamaFuturamaFuturama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
episode A Head in the PollsA Head in the Polls"A Head in the Polls" is the third episode in the second production season of Futurama. It originally aired in North America on December 12, 1999 as episode seven in the second broadcast season. The episode was written by J. Stewart Burns and directed by Bret Haaland. Claudia Schiffer makes a guest...
, when BenderBender- Places:* Bender, Moldova, also known as Bendery or Tighina* Bender, California, a former settlement in Fresno County, California* Bender Bayla District, a district of Bari, Somalia- Fiction :...
is in the presidents' heads room, decides to stay in a head jar in that room. Then George Bush tells him that they can't let any Tom, Dick and Harry in that room, with no offense to Thomas JeffersonThomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
, Richard NixonRichard NixonRichard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
and Harry Truman. - In Death Becomes HerDeath Becomes HerDeath Becomes Her is a 1992 American dark slapstick screwball comedy fantasy film directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Goldie Hawn, Meryl Streep, and Bruce Willis...
Lisle von Rhoman's 3 manservants are referred to in order "Dick, Tom, Harry!"