Lists of sets of things.
June 22, 2012 1:09 PM   Subscribe

I am looking for lists or sets of things that have 5-10 or so items. Like for instance asia, north and south america, africa, australia, etc...., red orange yellow green blue indigo violet. Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, Brown, etc.. Or Huron, Erie, Ontario, Michigan, Superior. Nothing esoteric please! Sets of things almost every (american) adult would be familiar with. Like Shortstop, pitcher, catcher, right fielder, and so on.
posted by cashman to Grab Bag (58 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting, feeling
posted by never.was.and.never.will.be. at 1:12 PM on June 22, 2012


Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan, the Bronx
posted by never.was.and.never.will.be. at 1:14 PM on June 22, 2012


Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter...
posted by something something at 1:16 PM on June 22, 2012


7 days of the week

If by "5-10 or so" you can go up to 13 then I suggest: 12 months of the year, 13 original colonies
posted by never.was.and.never.will.be. at 1:18 PM on June 22, 2012


Dasher, Prancer, Dancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen

Grumpy, Sleepy, Dopey, Sneezy, Bashful, Doc, Happy

Sloth, Gluttony, Lust, Greed, Envy, Wrath, Pride

Pyramids, Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Zeus at Olympia, Temple of Artimis, Mausoleum of Maussollos, Collossus of Rhodes, Lighthouse at Alexandria


I like sevens.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 1:18 PM on June 22, 2012 [1 favorite]


Are the first five presidents too esoteric? Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe
posted by jquinby at 1:18 PM on June 22, 2012


Great Lakes.
posted by rtha at 1:19 PM on June 22, 2012


Pride, anger, greed, gluttony, sloth, lust, and envy.

Gilligan, the Skipper, the Professor, Mary Anne, Ginger, Mr & Mrs Howell.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 1:20 PM on June 22, 2012


Greg, Peter, Bobby, Jan, Marsha, Cindy.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 1:23 PM on June 22, 2012 [1 favorite]


Oh!

Greg, Peter, Bobby, Marsha, Jan, Cindy
posted by jquinby at 1:23 PM on June 22, 2012


Chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience, kindness, and humility.
posted by rjs at 1:24 PM on June 22, 2012


Joey, Johnny, Marky, and Dee Dee.

Michael, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Randy.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 1:26 PM on June 22, 2012 [1 favorite]


Clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades.

Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard.
posted by Aquinas at 1:28 PM on June 22, 2012 [1 favorite]




John, Paul, George, and Ringo is just four, sorry. The very popular shirt with those four on them (weirdly out of order, IMO) spawned many parodies that might help you.
posted by Sock Ray Blue at 1:32 PM on June 22, 2012 [1 favorite]


this page has a list of Sevens including 7 hills of Rome, 7 Wonders, etc. I think some of the other wiki "number" pages have similar lists.
posted by pointystick at 1:32 PM on June 22, 2012


Five GUys Named Moe, specifically:
  1. Big Moe
  2. Four-Eyed Moe
  3. Eat Moe
  4. No Moe
  5. Little Moe

posted by alms at 1:35 PM on June 22, 2012 [1 favorite]


Do they have to be official sets or can they be lists with 5-10 discrete items like ingredients of a Big Mac: (2 all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickle, onion, sesame seed bun) - that's not a set but many americans of a certain age likely know the jingle.

On a another pop culture note: Scooby, Shaggy, Velma, Fred, Daphne
posted by pointystick at 1:39 PM on June 22, 2012


Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and sometimes Pluto.
posted by Sock Ray Blue at 1:41 PM on June 22, 2012


bitter, salty, sweet, sour, umami

North, South, East, West
posted by mmascolino at 1:47 PM on June 22, 2012


A, E, I, O, U (and sometimes Y)

Five oceans.

Increasingly: Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon (and Jon).

Notes in a scale: Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti
posted by supercres at 1:48 PM on June 22, 2012 [1 favorite]


Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
posted by mmascolino at 1:49 PM on June 22, 2012


Thumb, index, middle, ring, pinkie
Chandler, Ross, Joey, Monica, Rachel, Phoebe
Cliff, Claire, Sondra, Denise, Theo, Vanessa, Rudy
Blue, yellow, black, green, and red Olympic rings
posted by argonauta at 1:49 PM on June 22, 2012


The six types of nutrients: Carbohydrates, Fat, Protein, Vitamins, Minerals, Water.
posted by to recite so charmingly at 1:58 PM on June 22, 2012 [1 favorite]


Oklahoma, South Pacific, Carousel, The King and I, Sound of Music?

Groucho, Chico, Harpo, Zeppo and Gummo?

thumb, ring finger, middle finger, index finger, pinkie

Helium, Neon, Argon, Krypton, Xenon, Radon
posted by ubiquity at 2:03 PM on June 22, 2012


Oh, and the 5 B's: Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Buxtehude and Bruckner
posted by ubiquity at 2:07 PM on June 22, 2012


Help! I can't stop!!

The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith, A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi
posted by ubiquity at 2:08 PM on June 22, 2012


The Rat Pack: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop
posted by mmascolino at 2:09 PM on June 22, 2012


Heads, shoulders, knees, and toes.
posted by oceanjesse at 2:13 PM on June 22, 2012


Kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species.
posted by trip and a half at 2:24 PM on June 22, 2012


The noble gases (6): helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, and radon.

The countries of Central America (7): Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama.

Oh, and the 5 B's: Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Buxtehude and Bruckner

What about Barber, Bartok, Balakirev, Bellini, Berlioz, Bizet, Borodin, Britten, and Byrd?

posted by Johnny Assay at 2:36 PM on June 22, 2012


Arizona, California, Maryland, Nevada, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and West Virginia.
Battleship Row on 12/7/41
posted by Thorzdad at 2:50 PM on June 22, 2012


Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, Ginsburg, Breyer, Alito, Sotomayor, Kagan

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
posted by neal at 3:11 PM on June 22, 2012


If "5-10 or so" can include 4:

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
spring, summer, autumn, winter
Jerry, George, Kramer, Elaine


13 original colonies

alright, name them.
posted by madcaptenor at 3:13 PM on June 22, 2012


The lands of Disneyland: Adventureland, New Orleans Square, Frontierland, Critter Country, Fantasyland, Mickey's Toontown, and Tomorrowland.

Classic Monopoly pieces: Scottie dog, Iron, Race car, Thimble, Wheelbarrow, Top hat, Horse and rider, Shoe.
posted by to recite so charmingly at 3:24 PM on June 22, 2012


alright, name them

massachusetts, new hampshire, rhode island, connecticut, new york, new jersey, pennsylvania, delaware, maryland, virginia, north carolina, south carolina, georgia. is that so tough?
posted by ubiquity at 3:25 PM on June 22, 2012 [1 favorite]


teaspoon, tablespoon, cup, pint, quart, gallon

Breakfast club:
Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy
(Additional brat pack members: Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Rob Lowe)
posted by Glinn at 3:26 PM on June 22, 2012


New England: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut

The (10) Canadian Provinces: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan
posted by ubiquity at 3:28 PM on June 22, 2012


Also: Pawn, Bishop, Knight, Rook, King, Queen
posted by to recite so charmingly at 3:29 PM on June 22, 2012


The digits: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
posted by ubiquity at 3:32 PM on June 22, 2012


If they can be sets where you only use 5-10 most familiar members, but the set contains more members, you'll have a lot more to work with:
Sports leagues: NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL,...?
familiar (or, the first so-many) Presidents
familiar Shakespeare plays
dog breeds, makes or models of car, subjects in high school, ....
posted by LobsterMitten at 3:33 PM on June 22, 2012


A lot of things which are remembered by mnemonic will fall into this category. There's a Wikipedia list of mnemonics...
posted by anaelith at 3:35 PM on June 22, 2012


Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie
posted by keep it under cover at 4:24 PM on June 22, 2012


Leonardo, Donatello, Rafael, and Michaelangelo
posted by keep it under cover at 4:28 PM on June 22, 2012


These lists all read like answers to quizzes at Sporcle (www.sporcle.com).
posted by hot soup at 4:39 PM on June 22, 2012


RaPHael, sorry.
posted by keep it under cover at 4:40 PM on June 22, 2012


is that so tough?

I suspect a lot of people might throw in some of Vermont, Maine, and Florida. I'm not sure what they'd leave out. Probably Delaware.
posted by madcaptenor at 4:43 PM on June 22, 2012


Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, Heart, and Captain Planet. No? No? Damn.
posted by DisreputableDog at 4:59 PM on June 22, 2012 [1 favorite]


I think a fairly large number of Americans casually know: Uno, dos, tres, quatro, cinco, seis.

And I bet more people know at least the first part of (the military's phonetic alphabet) "Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta...." than they realize themselves.

Also, at least the "Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta" part of the Greek alphabet (though whether through radiation types or fraternities/sororities, I dunno).
posted by DisreputableDog at 5:10 PM on June 22, 2012


On rope, off rope, on belay, belay on, climbing, rappelling, slack, got me?
Stalagmite, stalactite, soda straw, column, flowstone, rimstone
posted by I'm Doing the Dishes at 5:50 PM on June 22, 2012


thumb, fore, middle, ring, pinky
kindom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species
Kirk, Spock, Sulu, Chekov, Uhura, Rand (bridge crew)
posted by plinth at 6:38 PM on June 22, 2012


Queen Frostine, Gramma Nutt, Plumpy, King Kandy, Jolly, Princess Lolly, Lord Licorice

Ernie, Bert, Oscar, Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Grover, Snuffie, Elmo...

Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, Oldsmobile, Lincoln, Buick...

Chevy Chase, Eddie Murphy, Bill Murray, John Belushi, Steve Martin, Chris Farley, Gilda Radner, David Spade....

New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, LA Times, Washington Post, NY Post, Philadelphia Inquirer...

Christine, The Stand, Salem's Lot, It, Misery, Carrie, Pet Sematary....

Jerry Springer, Maury Povich, Ricki Lake, Sally Jessie Raphael, Oprah Winfrey, Montel Williams...

KitKat, Nestle Crunch, Mars, Mounds, Almond Joy, Hershey's, Twix....

Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction
posted by triggerfinger at 7:23 PM on June 22, 2012


Went to market, stayed home, had roast beef, had none, cried whee whee whee all the way home.

What, you guys don't have to sing this to your toddler fifty-seven times a day?
posted by Liesl at 7:32 PM on June 22, 2012


Sock Ray Blue: "John, Paul, George, and Ringo is just four, sorry. "

Pete Best and Stuart Sutcliffe
posted by Bonzai at 9:57 PM on June 22, 2012


Lucky Charms: pink hearts, orange stars, yellow moons, green clovers...? Except according to Wikipedia, the lineup has changed over the years.

The characters in the game Clue: Colonel Mustard, Professor Plum, Miss Scarlet, etc.
posted by LobsterMitten at 10:17 PM on June 22, 2012


Coins: Penny, nickel, dime, quarter, half dollar, dollar
People on coins: Lincoln, Jefferson, F.D. Roosevelt, Washington, Kennedy, Sacagawea / presidents
Notes: $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100
People on notes: Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Hamilton, Jackson, Grant, Franklin
Colors of curbs: Red, blue, white, yellow, green, unpainted / gray
Common street signs: Stop, do no enter, yield, one way, railroad crossing, school zone
U.S. Time zones: Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific, Alaska, Hawaii-Aleutian
Ice hockey positions: Center, left wing, right wing, defense, goaltender
Baseball pitches: Fastball, change-up, curveball, slider, sinker, screwball, knuckleball
The MLB, NHL, NFL, and NBA each have six divisions containing four to six teams each
Terrestrial broadcast types: AM radio, FM radio, shortwave radio, UHF TV, VHF TV
posted by clorox at 2:53 AM on June 23, 2012


NCAA conferences: Big 12, Big Ten, PAC 12, SEC, Mountain West, ACC, Conference USA, WAC, Sunbelt, Mid-American, IA Independents.

Batman rogues gallery: Catwoman, Joker, Harley Quinn, Twoface, Riddler, Ra's Al Ghul, Penguin, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow, etc.

Avengers: Nick Fury, Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, The Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and more depending on the geek level of the people you're asking.

iPods: Shuffle, Nano, Classic, Touch
posted by ThisKindNepenthe at 7:27 AM on June 23, 2012


MetaFilter, AskMeFi, Projects, Music, Jobs, Podcast, IRL, and MetaTalk
posted by elmer benson at 8:34 AM on June 23, 2012 [1 favorite]


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