In any way, shape, or form

In any way, shape or form' or 'in some way, shape or form' are commonly used and largely meaningless idiomatic phrases that are used to emphasise a person's position, stance or opinion on something or other. To illustrate why it is largely meaningless, a person might say, for example, "I have not broken the law in any way, shape, or form." What has 'shape' got to do with law? The answer is nothing, but it sounds important and emphatic, which has led some etymologists to believe that its origin may be from legalese language, where lawyers often resort to long-winded, important-sounding phrases to indicate one is getting one's money's worth. Dual versions of the expression, 'In any shape or form', 'in any way or shape', and 'in any way or form' have been around since the 1700s, but the triple versions, as generally used today, are first cited from the early 19th century, but their origins, although highly debated, remain unknown.