Full Idea
A nostril, a city and a trumpet solo is not a real pattern, because identification of it supports no generalisations not supported by identification of the three conjuncts considered separately.
Gist of Idea
A sum of things is not a whole if the whole does not support some new generalisation
Source
J Ladyman / D Ross (Every Thing Must Go [2007], 4.4)
Book Reference
Ladyman,J/Ross,D: 'Every Thing Must Go' [OUP 2007], p.231
A Reaction
This is a nice try at offering a criterion for unity, but I doubt whether it will work, because an ingenious person could come up with wild generalisations. These three combined make possible a charming new line of poetry.