Example:
I would like to say a special thank you to Corbin Collins who kept this project on schedule despite several unexpected delays. You were part coach, part administrator, and part cheerleader; which was just what we needed.
Why are there no articles in front of the nouns?
Answer
This expression is analogous to a generic recipe. For example, a pie crust made from “3 parts flour, 2 parts fat, and 1 part liquid”. The “<number> part(s)” phrases are determiners — they take the place of articles.
In the original poster’s example, the author does not want to specify the exact mix. (The mix probably varied over time.) Thus, the author omits the numbers, leaving the bare expression “part coach, part administrator, and part cheerleader”.
Attribution
Source : Link , Question Author : Michael Rybkin , Answer Author : Jasper
