The Devil's Dictionary and repetition

[A. Vine]

2 unrelated subjects -

The following quote was in the signature of a recent email:

Dictionary: A malevolent literary device for cramping the growth of a
language and making it hard and inelastic. This dictionary, however, is a
most useful work. -Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914), [The Devil's Dictionary, 1906]

On repetition:

Today I was relating a story of a contentious meeting between me and someone who
works in the same firm.  I found myself repeating things 3 times for emphasis.
When I stopped to think about it, I remember hearing other folks doing the same
thing.  I even remember one of my Russian instructors doing it (for
correction).  What is it about 3 times, as opposed to some other number?  Is it
part of a certain set of languages, or is it some innate human tendency?

Andrea
--
Andrea Vine, avine at eng.sun.com, Sun-Netscape Alliance i18n architect
"So I just don't see this as an either-or issue as much as an apples
are yummy, and oranges are yummy, too, issue, and every now and then
fruit salad is tasty." -- Matthew Wall