What themes are associated with the number five?
May 11, 2010 4:41 PM Subscribe
For an art project, I need a theme for the number five. What are there five of?
For instance, if I had asked for a theme for seven, the answer could be the seven sins, the seven dwarves or the seven wonders of the world. For the number four, it could be the four elements or the four suits of playing cards.
Please note that it doesn't necessarily need to be known as "The Five.." If I had asked for the number six, then a perfect answer would be Miss Scarlett, Mrs. White, Colonel Mustard, Reverand Green, Professor Plum, Mrs. Peacock.
I am look specifically for something that would be well recognized in Western popular culture. I know that Chinese philosophy has five elements, but I'm not going that way because it isn't recognizable in Western culture.
Thanks anyone for lending me your ideas!
For instance, if I had asked for a theme for seven, the answer could be the seven sins, the seven dwarves or the seven wonders of the world. For the number four, it could be the four elements or the four suits of playing cards.
Please note that it doesn't necessarily need to be known as "The Five.." If I had asked for the number six, then a perfect answer would be Miss Scarlett, Mrs. White, Colonel Mustard, Reverand Green, Professor Plum, Mrs. Peacock.
I am look specifically for something that would be well recognized in Western popular culture. I know that Chinese philosophy has five elements, but I'm not going that way because it isn't recognizable in Western culture.
Thanks anyone for lending me your ideas!
Five fingers, five toes, five senses, five boroughs of NYC.
posted by lilkeith07 at 4:45 PM on May 11, 2010
posted by lilkeith07 at 4:45 PM on May 11, 2010
Some Western pagan traditions have five elements; earth, air, fire, water, and spirit (no not Heart you Capt. Planet doofuses); corresponding to the 5 points on a pentagram.
posted by The otter lady at 4:47 PM on May 11, 2010
posted by The otter lady at 4:47 PM on May 11, 2010
Five food groups. Five O'Clock whistle. Five gooooolden riiiiiings!
posted by Ostara at 4:48 PM on May 11, 2010
posted by Ostara at 4:48 PM on May 11, 2010
the pentagram
the intel pentium chip was pretty groundbreaking
posted by idiopath at 4:49 PM on May 11, 2010
the intel pentium chip was pretty groundbreaking
posted by idiopath at 4:49 PM on May 11, 2010
There are five Simpsons (immediate family): Marge, Homer, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie.
posted by ODiV at 4:49 PM on May 11, 2010
posted by ODiV at 4:49 PM on May 11, 2010
a twelve sided platonic polyhedron has faces with five sides each
posted by idiopath at 4:49 PM on May 11, 2010
posted by idiopath at 4:49 PM on May 11, 2010
this list has some good stuff
chanel no. 5
babylon 5
the fifth element (the movie)
shakespeare (iambic pentameter)
posted by nadawi at 4:49 PM on May 11, 2010
chanel no. 5
babylon 5
the fifth element (the movie)
shakespeare (iambic pentameter)
posted by nadawi at 4:49 PM on May 11, 2010
Response by poster: Just to clarify, I want five distinct things. So the five senses is great, but five o'clock shadow or Five & Dime aren't what I'm looking for. Thanks, and sorry for not being clearer.
posted by giggleknickers at 4:50 PM on May 11, 2010
posted by giggleknickers at 4:50 PM on May 11, 2010
5....5 dollar....5 dollar footloonngggg
This is the first thing I thought of.
posted by amethysts at 4:51 PM on May 11, 2010
This is the first thing I thought of.
posted by amethysts at 4:51 PM on May 11, 2010
This article may contain excessive, poor or irrelevant examples.
posted by Zed at 4:51 PM on May 11, 2010
posted by Zed at 4:51 PM on May 11, 2010
Response by poster: Does anyone know if there are any gods from an Ancient mythology that come in a group of five? Like how they have the three graces, the three fates, and the thirteen Olympians?
posted by giggleknickers at 4:58 PM on May 11, 2010
posted by giggleknickers at 4:58 PM on May 11, 2010
Best answer: Five Great Lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior)
posted by Lucinda at 4:59 PM on May 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Lucinda at 4:59 PM on May 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Marx Brothers (Groucho, Harpo, Chico, Zeppo, and of course, Gummo).
Basketball roles (Center, Power Forward, Small Forward, Point Guard, Shooting Guard)
Dionne Quintuplets (may be too vintage a pop cultural reference to be useful)
For some folks, there are five continents: Americas, Eurasia, Africa, Antarctica, Australia
The flavors of life savers: cherry, pineapple, raspberry, watermelon and orange
The Big 5 networks - CBS, Fox, ABC, NBC, CW
posted by julen at 5:00 PM on May 11, 2010
Basketball roles (Center, Power Forward, Small Forward, Point Guard, Shooting Guard)
Dionne Quintuplets (may be too vintage a pop cultural reference to be useful)
For some folks, there are five continents: Americas, Eurasia, Africa, Antarctica, Australia
The flavors of life savers: cherry, pineapple, raspberry, watermelon and orange
The Big 5 networks - CBS, Fox, ABC, NBC, CW
posted by julen at 5:00 PM on May 11, 2010
Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard.
Yes, in wartime, the Coast Guard reports to the DoD. Although I heard that The Pentagon was designed with five sides to represent each branch, it turns out that the shape was chosen because it fit the irregularly-shaped tract of land.
posted by mhum at 5:02 PM on May 11, 2010
Yes, in wartime, the Coast Guard reports to the DoD. Although I heard that The Pentagon was designed with five sides to represent each branch, it turns out that the shape was chosen because it fit the irregularly-shaped tract of land.
posted by mhum at 5:02 PM on May 11, 2010
A few ideas...
Music: Every good boy does fine.
Poetry: iambic or dactylic pentameter.
Particle physics: the pentaquark.
Religion: the Pentateuch.
Martial arts: "The Books of Five Rings"
Chemistry: cyclopentane.
Anthropology: Biological anthropology, Cultural anthropology, Linguistic anthropology, Social anthropology, Archaeology
History: Five Epochs of Civilization
Roman Numerals: V
Western Alchemy elements: earth, air, fire, water, spirit.
Traditional Chinese Philosophy elements: wood, water, fire, earth and metal.
Games: 5 card draw poker
posted by darkstar at 5:04 PM on May 11, 2010
Music: Every good boy does fine.
Poetry: iambic or dactylic pentameter.
Particle physics: the pentaquark.
Religion: the Pentateuch.
Martial arts: "The Books of Five Rings"
Chemistry: cyclopentane.
Anthropology: Biological anthropology, Cultural anthropology, Linguistic anthropology, Social anthropology, Archaeology
History: Five Epochs of Civilization
Roman Numerals: V
Western Alchemy elements: earth, air, fire, water, spirit.
Traditional Chinese Philosophy elements: wood, water, fire, earth and metal.
Games: 5 card draw poker
posted by darkstar at 5:04 PM on May 11, 2010
Most classic plays have five acts.
There's a specific structure associated with this, the dramatic arc.
Act 1: Exposition
Act 2: Rising action
Act 3: Climax
Act 4: Falling action
Act 5: Denouement
So, for example, in Hamlet:
Act 1: We find out what's happened in Denmark, the ghost tells Hamlet to kill his uncle.
Act 2: Hamlet acts out, avoids killing uncle, pouts.
Act 3: The play within a play, Claudius confesses to God/the audience, Hamlet freaks out at his mom, kills Polonius
Act 4: Ophelia kills herself, Hamlet figures out an invasion is coming, Laertes and Claudius plan Hamlet's death.
Act 5: Everybody dies.
posted by Adridne at 5:06 PM on May 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
There's a specific structure associated with this, the dramatic arc.
Act 1: Exposition
Act 2: Rising action
Act 3: Climax
Act 4: Falling action
Act 5: Denouement
So, for example, in Hamlet:
Act 1: We find out what's happened in Denmark, the ghost tells Hamlet to kill his uncle.
Act 2: Hamlet acts out, avoids killing uncle, pouts.
Act 3: The play within a play, Claudius confesses to God/the audience, Hamlet freaks out at his mom, kills Polonius
Act 4: Ophelia kills herself, Hamlet figures out an invasion is coming, Laertes and Claudius plan Hamlet's death.
Act 5: Everybody dies.
posted by Adridne at 5:06 PM on May 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
The Big Five countries in the post 1945 era were the US, the Soviet Union, Britain, France, and China.
They held the monopoly on nuclear weapons throughout the worst of the Cold War and still (with the USSR replaced by the Russian Federation) hold the majority of the world's nuclear arsenal. The five countries form the permanent membership of the UN Security Council. The five nations still top the list of worldwide defence budgets.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 5:14 PM on May 11, 2010
They held the monopoly on nuclear weapons throughout the worst of the Cold War and still (with the USSR replaced by the Russian Federation) hold the majority of the world's nuclear arsenal. The five countries form the permanent membership of the UN Security Council. The five nations still top the list of worldwide defence budgets.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 5:14 PM on May 11, 2010
the little piggy who went to market
the little piggy who stayed home
the little piggy who had roast beef
the little piggy who had none
the little piggy who went wee wee wee all the way home
posted by Solon and Thanks at 5:18 PM on May 11, 2010 [5 favorites]
the little piggy who stayed home
the little piggy who had roast beef
the little piggy who had none
the little piggy who went wee wee wee all the way home
posted by Solon and Thanks at 5:18 PM on May 11, 2010 [5 favorites]
Pillars of Islam
Precepts of Buddhism
Classics of Confucianism
"Big Five" personality traits
Iroquois Nations
posted by k. at 5:26 PM on May 11, 2010
Precepts of Buddhism
Classics of Confucianism
"Big Five" personality traits
Iroquois Nations
posted by k. at 5:26 PM on May 11, 2010
The Big Five personality traits. These are the major dimensions of personality according to contemporary psychology (and I think it could make an awesome art project):
posted by amtho at 5:28 PM on May 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
- Openness / Intellect
- Conscientiousness
- Extraversion
- Agreeableness
- Neuroticism
posted by amtho at 5:28 PM on May 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
Platonic solids (tetrahedron, cube, octahedron, dodecahedron, icosahedron)
Pentatonic scale
posted by k. at 5:30 PM on May 11, 2010
Pentatonic scale
posted by k. at 5:30 PM on May 11, 2010
Law of Five in Discordianism
The 5 stages: Chaos, Discord, Confusion, Bureaucracy, Aftermath
posted by Hairy Lobster at 5:45 PM on May 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
The 5 stages: Chaos, Discord, Confusion, Bureaucracy, Aftermath
posted by Hairy Lobster at 5:45 PM on May 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
@Anephim, is that an intentially recursive post, or did you cut the wrong url?
posted by compound eye at 5:54 PM on May 11, 2010
posted by compound eye at 5:54 PM on May 11, 2010
Five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression/sadness, and acceptance.
posted by questionsandanchors at 6:00 PM on May 11, 2010
posted by questionsandanchors at 6:00 PM on May 11, 2010
who? what? where? when? why?
members of many '90's boybands: backstreet boys, nsync, spice girls, etc
captain planet's planeteers: fire, earth, wind, water and... heart.
posted by cheemee at 6:19 PM on May 11, 2010
members of many '90's boybands: backstreet boys, nsync, spice girls, etc
captain planet's planeteers: fire, earth, wind, water and... heart.
posted by cheemee at 6:19 PM on May 11, 2010
oh.. and similar to captain planet:
The five elements in...
... chinese philosophy: water, metal, earth, wood, fire
... japanese philosophy: wind, water, sky, fire, earth
posted by cheemee at 6:24 PM on May 11, 2010
The five elements in...
... chinese philosophy: water, metal, earth, wood, fire
... japanese philosophy: wind, water, sky, fire, earth
posted by cheemee at 6:24 PM on May 11, 2010
There are five suits in a Tarot deck: Wands (aka Staffs), Cups, Swords, Coins (aka Disks/Pentacles), and the Trumps (aka Major Arcana).
posted by hermitosis at 7:38 PM on May 11, 2010
posted by hermitosis at 7:38 PM on May 11, 2010
Five golden rings from the Song The Twelve Days of Christmas.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 7:50 PM on May 11, 2010
posted by SuperSquirrel at 7:50 PM on May 11, 2010
Best answer: Does anyone know if there are any gods from an Ancient mythology that come in a group of five?
sort of already referenced in the mention of weekdays, but the ancients knew of 5 planets (mercury, venus, mars, jupiter, saturn) which are also gods, and also the roots of the days of the week other than sun-day and moon-day (look at romance languages as well as english)
posted by mdn at 8:29 PM on May 11, 2010
sort of already referenced in the mention of weekdays, but the ancients knew of 5 planets (mercury, venus, mars, jupiter, saturn) which are also gods, and also the roots of the days of the week other than sun-day and moon-day (look at romance languages as well as english)
posted by mdn at 8:29 PM on May 11, 2010
Five Guys Named Moe is a popular musical.
[The book was written by Clarke Peters, The Wire's Lester Freamon.]
posted by ceri richard at 11:35 PM on May 11, 2010
[The book was written by Clarke Peters, The Wire's Lester Freamon.]
posted by ceri richard at 11:35 PM on May 11, 2010
Best answer: In Greek mythology there were five rivers in the realm of Hades: Acheron, Phlegethon, Lethe, Cocytus, and Styx.
posted by wjm at 2:20 AM on May 12, 2010
posted by wjm at 2:20 AM on May 12, 2010
Cut an apple horizontally and it has five seeds, like a five pointed star.
posted by mareli at 7:06 AM on May 12, 2010
posted by mareli at 7:06 AM on May 12, 2010
And Five Easy Pieces, the movie.
posted by Guy_Inamonkeysuit at 1:06 PM on May 12, 2010
posted by Guy_Inamonkeysuit at 1:06 PM on May 12, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
The Jackson Five.
Five O'clock shadow.
Five little monkeys jumped on the bed...
posted by ambrosia at 4:44 PM on May 11, 2010