trinity, trilogy

[Perry Lassiter]

A friend was amused at a TV cook referring to three spices as "a trilogy." My friend had always heard the word used in a like situation as "a trinity." She speculated that the cook was not a religious person. (Her thesis was that most regional cooking has a blend of three spices used in many dishes. Cajun cooking uses a lot of onions, celery, and green peppers. She cited some others I wasn't familiar with, and I'm not sure how often this is true.) The dictionaries seem to agree with her, as "trilogy" is mentioned only in literary or artistic contexts, as with three books in a series. I don't think of "trinity" as religious when used outside of a religious context, and the newer lexicons agree with me. Any three people acting together, or even meeting together can be called a trinity. I wouldn't, however, call them a trilogy.

[Slava]

Given the etymology of trilogy, it stands to reason that you can't use it to refer to spices and herbs.