reading, writing, and arithmetic, regarded as the basic elementary studies and the fundamentals of an education: so called from the humorous spelling reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic: with the
See three R's in American Heritage Dictionary 4
plural noun
Reading, writing, and arithmetic, considered as the fundamentals of elementary education.
Origin:
Origin: From the phrase reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic
Origin: , alteration of reading, writing, and arithmetic