A tricolon is a more specific use of the rule of three where three words or phrases are equal in length and grammatical form. A hendiatris is a figure of speech where three successive words are used to express a single central idea.As a slogan or motto, this is known as a tripartite motto. tricolon is a more specific use of the rule of three where three words or phrases are equal in length and grammatical form. A hendiatris is a figure of speech where three successive words are used to express a single central idea. As a slogan or motto, this is known as a tripartite motto.