three [OE] This shares an ancient root with Latin tres and Greek treis. Three inseparable friends may be called the three musketeers. The original three musketeers were Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, whose motto was ‘One for all, and all for one’. They appear in the 1844 novel Les Trois Mousquetaires by Alexandre Dumas père. The expression the third degree for long and harsh questioning by the police is American, recorded from the beginning of the 20th century, although it is found in other senses from the late 16th century. Perhaps in reference to the Holy Trinity, three is traditionally a lucky number, and this is reflected in third time lucky [M19th]. Third time is the charm is an American version of this saying. Threescore [LME] is an old-fashioned way of saying ‘sixty’. According to the Bible, ‘The days of our age are threescore years and ten’ (Psalm 90). See also sheet.