# Can a List have Only Two Items **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 7, 2013, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-list-have-only-two-items/649623 "2013-02-07T19:57:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-list-have-only-two-items/649623/41 "2013-03-18T00:30:07Z")
1. Ouch 2. It is a serious question 3. Bye, Opal ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-list-have-only-two-items/649623/42 "2013-03-18T07:05:27Z")
> [@Ksnook](#): > > One is an item, two are a pair, three or more are a list. > > Is this seriously in question? Why are three items a list, not just a trio? Despite your derision for the question, you have provided a very feeble answer. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-list-have-only-two-items/649623/43 "2013-03-18T08:44:31Z")
Quartet, quintet, et cetera. There’s no number necessary to make a list. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-list-have-only-two-items/649623/44 "2013-03-18T09:50:29Z")
Agreed - a list, as a concept, can be empty - like a table. I believe **Opal** ’s three item minimum was always a definition of _writing style_, - that is, anything shorter than three items should be written inline (e.g “this thing \*and \*that thing”), rather than a bulleted or numbered list. ---
**Author:** ![GiantRat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@GiantRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GiantRat)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-list-have-only-two-items/649623/45 "2013-03-18T15:14:34Z")
This is actually something that comes up often when I’m writing reports for clients. My colleagues in the IT world are list-oriented and have no problem with 1 or 2 items in a list, since that’s not at all uncommon in programming. The English major in me says, “dude, you could totally put that into a sentence.” To which they respond that lists are easier both to read and right. So my versions of reports end up with lengthy paragraphs. Theirs are polluted with bullet-points. They suck separately, but equally. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-list-have-only-two-items/649623/46 "2013-03-18T15:19:15Z")
> [@GiantRat](#): > > The English major in me says, “dude, you could totally put that into a sentence.” To which they respond that lists are easier both to read and **right**. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-list-have-only-two-items/649623/47 "2013-03-18T15:23:53Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > I made a reading list of all the books I think I should read before I die. The list is so long, it’s a book unto itself. But I didn’t think to include my reading list on my reading list. So I haven’t actually read my reading list, and I have no idea what’s listed there! > > In other news, I made a list of all my reading lists. Since I have only one reading list, my list of reading lists is only one item long. > > In a separate experiment, I made a list of _all possible_ lists. Upon closer examination of some of those listed lists, I found that some of the lists include themselves on themselves, and some don’t. So I divided my master list-of-lists into two sub-lists: > [ol][li]The list of all lists that contain themselves on themselves, and[/li][li]the list of all lists that _don’t_ contain themselves on themselves.[/ol][/li]Then I got to wondering: Does my list #2 list itself on itself? I began thinking about this, when suddenly the sky fell on my head. Apparently, \*Goedel, Escher, Bach \*is on your list of books that you’ve already digested. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-list-have-only-two-items/649623/48 "2013-03-18T16:04:20Z")
So I recently went to the music store looking to buy some sheet music for my piano classes, and in advance I had prepared a list of composers whose music I was interested in procuring. It looked like this: -Chopin -Liszt ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-list-have-only-two-items/649623/49 "2013-03-18T16:22:34Z")
Sure, nothing wrong with that. The list form allows you to add more if you think of them. If you had the idea of listing before settling on the first name, then you had a list of no items. Or if you buy those two, haven’t thought of others yet but are open to, then you’re maintaining a running list of (temporarily) no items. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-list-have-only-two-items/649623/50 "2013-03-18T17:52:26Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > ``` > The list of all lists that contain themselves on themselves, and > the list of all lists that don't contain themselves on themselves. > > ``` This one bit [Bertrand Russell](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell's_paradox) on the arse. [QUOTE=Tim R. Mortiss] Apparently, \*Goedel, Escher, Bach \*is on your list of books that you’ve already digested. [/QUOTE] This book raises your IQ by 25% - even if all you do is look at the pictures. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-list-have-only-two-items/649623/51 "2013-03-18T19:59:51Z")
50 posts and no-one has linked to the [relevant xkcd](http://xkcd.com/468/) yet? Do we not do that any more? Did I miss a memo (or perhaps it was a list)? ---
**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-list-have-only-two-items/649623/52 "2013-03-18T20:17:26Z")
> [@Asympotically\_fat](#): > > In mathematics the concept of a list is formalized as a sequence and a sequence can have two or one members or even (usually) zero members (such a sequence would be called the empty sequence). You’re assuming that sequence is important, but it may not be. If not, it’s formalized as a set. Even the notation for a set is a **list** of its members: set X = { a, b, c } In particular, a shopping list is generally ordered by the time at which you think of an item that belongs on the list, which is rarely significant. Two shopping lists with the same items in different orders could be called the same shopping list. Is that pedantic enough for ya? 😉 In any case, I agree with the concensus that the concept of a list doesn’t require any specific cardinality, but stylistically the distinction between 2 and three can be useful. Like the programmers mentioned above, I’d rather see a list of two items listed as a list rather than left inline in a sentence/paragraph, but it depends on how complex the ideas are. In any case, when shopping, be sure not to forget the [ul] [li]bread[/li][li]milk[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Ksnook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ce7236/32.png) [@Ksnook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ksnook)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-list-have-only-two-items/649623/53 "2013-04-02T02:01:41Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > 1. Ouch > 2. It is a serious question > 3. Bye, Opal > ☹ I didn’t know about opalcat when I posted. Very sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-list-have-only-two-items/649623/54 "2013-04-02T02:16:20Z")
What’s the cite to **OpalCat** ’s original, primordial discussion with Dopers on this OP? Opal recently died, hence the sad “Bye Opal” list-making. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-list-have-only-two-items/649623.md?page=2)